RIC VI, ROMA 64a, DIOCLETIAN, DOUBLE FOLLIS, MINT ERROR

OBVERSE	IMPCDIOCLETIANVSPFAVG [IMP C DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG]; head r., laur.
REVERSE	GENIOPOPV-LIROMANI [GENIO POPVLI ROMANI]; Genius stg. l., modius on head, naked but for chlamys over l. shoulder, r. holding patera, l. cornucpiae. R in left field. A in exerque.
NOT IN RIC	DOUBLE FOLLIS. Specimen similar to ROMA 64a except for unusually heavy weight: 18.43 g (expected c. 11.5-8.5 g). Test strike? Model for forger's mould? Coin is described here as "double follis" and "mint error" but in fact origin of these rare pieces is uncertain. Some of them are probably real "mint errors", accidentally struck on too heavy flan (blank disc). Sometimes flan was probably heavy for purpose: when earlier batch of coins was struck on too light flans. Sometimes flan is exceptionally well made and with centered strike, so it could be a test strike of new dies. Further investigations needed. See also: RIC VI, TREVERI 310, MAXIMIAN HERCULIUS, DOUBLE FOLLIS, MINT ERROR RIC VI, LUGDUNUM 30b, MAXIMIAN HERCULIUS, DOUBLE FOLLIS, MINT ERROR RIC VI, HERACLEA 53b, LICINIUS, DOUBLE FOLLIS, MINT ERROR RIC VI, ANTIOCHIA 52b, MAXIMIAN HERCULIUS, DOUBLE FOLLIS, MINT ERROR RIC VII, LYONS 90, CONSTANTINE II, DOUBLE FOLLIS, MINT ERROR RIC VII, TRIER 399, CRISPUS, DOUBLE FOLLIS, MINT ERROR RIC VII, TRIER 435, CONSTANTINE I, DOUBLE FOLLIS, MINT ERROR RIC VII, TRIER 449, CONSTANTINE I, DOUBLE FOLLIS, MINT ERROR RIC VII, CYZICUS 18, LICINIUS II, DOUBLE FOLLIS, MINT ERROR RIC VII, ANTIOCH 86, CONSTANTINE I, DOUBLE FOLLIS, MINT ERROR

NOTES

Double follis (?). Weight 18.43 g; diameter 33 mm. Offered on Art Coins Roma (Bertolami Fine Art) auction 4 (lot 1070) in November 2011; sold on Art Coins Roma (Bertolami Fine Art) auction 12 (lot 946) in October 2014 for EUR 810.