Diocletian, follis, bronze, reign 284-305, minted 300-303

Diocletian, follis, bronze, reign 284-305, minted 300-303, weight 10.50 g, diameter 28 mm. Obverse: laureate head right, legend IMP C DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG. Reverse: Moneta standing left holding scales in right hand and cornucopiae in left, legend SACRA MONET AVGG ET CAESS NOSTR, mintmark TT in exergue. Strike: hammered, well-centered with full legends visible, moderate high-point wear. Toning: dark brown patina with scattered green surface deposits. References: RIC VI Ticinum 45a. The follis was introduced by Diocletian during his currency reform of 294 to stabilize the empire’s monetary system by re-establishing a large bronze coin with a thin silver wash. This specimen was produced at the Ticinum mint, one of the western workshops supporting the tetrarchic fiscal requirements. The reverse type depicts Moneta, the personification of the imperial mint, emphasizing the regime’s control over coinage and the broader economic restructuring undertaken by the tetrarchy. Issues from 300-303 correspond to the period when Diocletian and Maximian were preparing for the abdication of 305, marking the final regular output of the first tetrarchic coinage phase.