© Trustees of the British Museum
© Trustees of the British Museum
Aureus - Diocletianus and Maximianus as Caesar IMP C MAXIMIANVS AVG
285 year| Gold | 5.4 g | - |
| Issuer | Rome › Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Emperor | Diocletian (Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus) (284-305) |
| Caesar | Maximian Herculius (Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus) (285-286) |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Year | 285 |
| Value | Aureus (25⁄2) |
| Currency | Antoninianus, Reform of Caracalla (AD 215 – 301) |
| Composition | Gold |
| Weight | 5.4 g |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
| Technique | Hammered |
| Demonetized | Yes |
| Updated | 2024-10-05 |
| Numista | N#306185 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 100% |
Reverse
Bust of Maximian, laureate, wearing lion's skin, left, holding club.
Script: Latin
Lettering: IMP C MAXIMIANVS AVG
Translation:
Imperator Caesar Maximianus Augustus.
Supreme commander (Imperator), Caesar Maximianus, emperor (Augustus).
Comment
Example of this type:Trustees of the British Museum
Source:
Online Coins of the Roman Empire (OCRE)
Interesting fact
One interesting fact about this coin is that it was issued during the reign of Diocletian, who introduced a series of economic and military reforms in an attempt to stabilize the empire and combat inflation, which had become a significant problem due to the constant wars and excessive minting of coins. The Aureus, which was the standard circulation coin during this time, was made of gold and weighed 5.4 grams, as . This coin was used as a means of payment for high-value transactions and was also used to pay soldiers and civil servants. Despite the efforts of Diocletian and his co-emperor Maximian, the Roman Empire continued to decline, and the Aureus became a symbol of the empire's economic struggles.
