Galerius, as Caesar, AE Radiatus

Galerius, radiate (radiatus), billon, as Caesar under Diocletian, Antioch mint, c. AD 293–305, 4.12 g, 21 mm. Obverse with radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right; legend GAL VAL MAXIMINVS NOB CAES. Reverse with Jupiter and Hercules standing facing, each holding attributes; legend IOVI ET HERCVLI CONS CAES. Even strike on a broad flan with clear legends and centrally placed types. RIC V (Diocletian) 719.

Issued for Galerius during the early Tetrarchy, this radiate denomination reflects the monetary and ideological reforms of Diocletian’s regime, emphasizing collegiate rule and the legitimizing protection of the principal state deities. The reverse invocation of Jupiter and Hercules, traditional patrons of the senior emperors and their Caesars, served as an official statement of divine sanction and unity across the imperial college, with Antioch functioning as a major eastern mint supporting the administration and frontier armies.