Late Roman Bronze Coins
Coin talk => COTD => Topic started by: Victor on December 05, 2020, 11:35:13 AM
though rated common in RIC, this type is a bit tougher to find than that.
Diocletian
A.D. 298- 299
25x28mm 8.6g
IMP DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG; laureate head right.
FORTVNAE REDVCI AVGG NN; Fortuna seated left, holding rudder set on globe in her right hand and cornucopiae in her left; B in left, ✶in right.
In ex. TR
RIC VI Trier 230a
I had written this one off, but almost three months later, it has arrived from Germany.
I've had some recent ones come quickly from germany, so it seems they are now using air delivery again, but that one must have been on the boat !
Does anyone know the significance of the two different Fortuna types or what is conveyed by the difference-- sitting vs standing? The way everything was so consciously and deliberately paired and arranged under Diocletian, I have a hard time thinking it is just for sake of variety.
The seated or standing Fortuna goes hand-in-hand with the reverse legend :
FORTVNAE REDVCI AVGG NN => seated
FORTVNAE REDVCI CAESS NN => standing
FORTVNAE REDVCI AVGG ET CAESS NN => seated or standing
In other words Fortuna is seated when guiding the augusti's fortune, but standing for the caesars ! Maybe the young upstarts need more guidance ?!
Note that although the seated/standing design goes with the AVGG/CAESS legend, the AVGG/CAESS types were all issued indiscriminately for both the augusti and caesars.
It'd be interesting to look at the history of these types to see if there's any pattern.