Diocletian, Aureus, 284-294
Rome - Very rare - Gold - AU(55-58) - RIC:146
PLEASE NOTE: this collector's item is unique. We therefore cannot guarantee its availability over time and recommend that you do not delay too long in completing your purchase if you are interested.
Bust of Diocletian, laureate, draped, cuirassed, right.
Jupiter standing left, head turned back, hurling thunderbolt at kneeling Titan/Giant.
Example of superb quality, on a very wide flan, still with some of its mint brightness. Slight circulation wear to the portrait beard, otherwise extremely well preserved. A splendid representation on the reverse, with a striking mythological scene: Zeus striking down an eel or snake-legged giant, none other than Porphyrion, the “king of giants”, or “greatest of giants”. From Greek mythology, this giant was one of the main characters in the Gigantomachy, the battle between the Olympian gods and the Giants. He is shown here on his knees, defeated by Zeus and struck down by the thunder of the King of the Gods. According to legend, Eros, who thought he'd kill him with one of his arrows (or Zeus himself), urges him to attack Hera, ripping off her dress. This provokes the intervention of Zeus, who strikes him with his thunderbolt, and the giant is killed with Herakles' poisoned arrow. We might see this representatiovn as an imperial propaganda tool deployed by Diocletian, then Augustus and ruler of the western part of the Roman Empire, by associating himself with the King of the Gods, and perhaps through this mythological scene, associating his enemies (notably the usurper Carausius in Gaul and Brittany) with the giant Porphyrion being struck down by the gods, a sign of future victory over the usurper of the imperial throne. Ex Harlan J. Berk, Sale 89, Feb. 1998, lot 15; Ira & Larry Goldberg, Auction 72, Feb. 2013, lot 4207 and Maison Palombo, Auction 12, Dec. 2013, lot 87. Cohen 285; Calicó 4531 (these dies). 7h. From The Hunter collection.
DIOCLETIA – NVS P F AVG
IOVI FVL – GE – RAT – ORI // PR
5.11 gr
Gold
Although nowadays gold enjoys a reputation as the king of precious metals, that was not always the case. For example, in Ancient Greece, Corinthian bronze was widely considered to be superior. However, over the course of time, it has established itself as the prince of money, even though it frequently vies with silver for the top spot as the standard.
Nevertheless, there are other metals which appear to be even more precious than this duo, take for example rhodium and platinum. That is certain. Yet, if the ore is not as available, how can money be produced in sufficient quantities? It is therefore a matter of striking a subtle balance between rarity and availability.
But it gets better: gold is not only virtually unreactive, whatever the storage conditions (and trouser pockets are hardly the most precious of storage cases), but also malleable (coins and engravers appreciate that).
It thus represents the ideal mix for striking coins without delay – and we were not going to let it slip away!
The chemical symbol for gold is Au, which derives from its Latin name aurum. Its origins are probably extraterrestrial, effectively stardust released following a violent collision between two neutron stars. Not merely precious, but equally poetic…
The first gold coins were minted by the kings of Lydia, probably between the 8th and 6th century BC. Whereas nowadays the only gold coins minted are investment coins (bullion coins) or part of limited-edition series aimed at collectors, that was not always the case. And gold circulated extensively from hand to hand and from era to era, from the ancient gold deposits of the River Pactolus to the early years of the 20th century.
As a precious metal, in the same way as silver, gold is used for minting coins with intrinsic value, which is to say the value of which is constituted by the metal from which they are made. Even so, nowadays, the value to the collector frequently far exceeds that of the metal itself...
It should be noted that gold, which is naturally very malleable, is frequently supplemented with small amounts of other metals to render it harder.
The millesimal fineness (or alloy) of a coin indicates the exact proportion (in parts per thousand) of gold included in the composition. We thus speak, for example, of 999‰ gold or 999 parts of gold per 1 part of other metals. This measure is important for investment coins such as bullion. In France, it was expressed in carats until 1995.
An “AU(55-58)” quality
As in numismatics, it is important that the state of conservation of an item be carefully evaluated before it is offered to a discerning collector with a keen eye.
This initially obscure acronym comprising two words describing the state of conservation is explained clearly here:
About Uncirculated(55-58)
This means – more prosaically – that the coin has been in circulation but sufficiently little that its original beauty is preserved almost in its entirety. The wear is barely visible and any other defect can only be identified with a magnifying glass or a particularly keen eye. The number (55-58) indicates that between three quarters and almost all of the original luster remains.
