RIC VI, ALEXANDRIA, DIOCLETIAN, UNLISTED ISSUE [IOVI CONSERVATORI]

OBVERSE	DIOCLETIANVSAVGVSTVS [DIOCLETIANVS AVGVSTVS]; bust r., rad., consular robe.
REVERSE	IOVICON-SERVATORI [IOVI CONSERVATORI]; Jupiter stg. l., chlamys hanging behind, r. holding Victory, l. lenaing on long sceptre. Δ in right field. ALE in exergue.
NOT IN RIC	UNLISTED ISSUE. Coin probably belongs to the series of civic coinage (see below). Florian Haymann dates these coins (following Wolfram Weiser) to 297/298 (see: Florian Haymann, Eine neue alexandrinische Lokalbronze des Maximianus Galerius, "Numismatisches NachrichtenBlatt" 4/2022, p. 140). Maybe this date should be shifted to the time of the Great Persecution, i.e. year 303. According to Lactantius, it was started by Diocletian at the instigation of Galerius and all coins known so far are minted only for these two members of the Tetrarchy. Maximinus' emissions with images of the old gods (minted during the persecution in year 312) probably imitated this very issue. See also: ALEXANDRIA, DIOCLETIAN, UNLISTED ISSUE [DEAE SANCTAE ISIDI] ALEXANDRIA, GALERIUS MAXIMIAN, UNLISTED ISSUE [DEAE SANCTAE ISIDI] ALEXANDRIA, GALERIUS MAXIMIAN, UNLISTED ISSUE [DEO SANCTO SERAPIDI] ALEXANDRIA, GALERIUS MAXIMIAN, UNLISTED ISSUE [DEO SANCT SERAPIDI]

NOTES

Fraction. Weight 2.65 g; diameter 18.5-20 mm. Coin sold on eBay in June 2023 for USD 70. Now in Leszek Wąsik's collection.