Potin Tetradrachm - Diocletian - Alexandria - Tyche Reverse

This billon tetradrachm was struck at Alexandria under Diocletian, who reigned from 284 to 305 AD. No regnal date is legible on this example, so a specific year within the reign cannot be pinned down. The obverse shows the laureate, cuirassed bust of Diocletian viewed from behind, with a Greek legend giving his imperial titles, in keeping with Alexandria's long tradition of striking its own Greek-legended coinage separate from the rest of the empire.

The reverse depicts Tyche, goddess of fortune and the personification of the city, wearing a turreted crown and holding a cornucopia in her left hand and a ship's rudder in her right. The turreted crown identifies her specifically as the tutelary goddess of a city, while the cornucopia signifies abundance and prosperity. The rudder, an attribute of Tyche in her guise as Fortuna, symbolizes the guidance of fate or fortune, often understood as steering the course of the city's or empire's affairs.

7.25 g

19 mm