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Diocletian. AD 284-305. AV Aureus (21.5mm, 5.19 g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck AD 287. VIRT VS DIOCLETIANI AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed half-length bust right, holding hasta and two plumbatae; shield on shoulder / IOVI CO NSER VAT AVGG, Jupiter, nude but for chlamys draped over shoulders, standing left, holding thunderbolt and scepter; PR. RIC V 140; Depeyrot 4A/2; Calicó 4475 (no illustration); Biaggi –; Mazzini –; S. Estiot, “Sine Arcu Sagittae : La Représentation Numismatique de Plumbatae / Mattiobarbuli aux IIIE-IVE Siècles (279-307 de N. È.)” in NZ 116/117 (2008), 10. Toned, minor marks, edge marks, graffito and scrape professionally removed on reverse. Good VF. Extremely rare. Depeyrot and Estiot cite three examples, all in public collections.
Ex Triton XXI (8 January 2018), lot 837 (graffito and scrape professionally removed on reverse since).
This extremely rare early pre-reform aureus featuring a magnificent martial bust of Diocletian is known from very few specimens. All three of the examples recorded by Depeyrot reside in public collections making this a rare opportunity to acquire the only example in private hands.
Diocletian’s elaborate suit of armor and weaponry displayed on the portrait of this aureus illustrate the revolution in Roman arms and tactics that had rescued the empire from destruction in the later third century AD. The Roman army had suffered numerous catastrophic defeats between AD 232 and 268, both to the rampant Sasanian Persians in the east and the Germanic tribes along the Rhine-Danube frontier, that had caused the Empire’s near-dismemberment and a death-spiral of usurpation and civil war. Starting with the Battle of Naissus in AD 268 or 269 under Gallienus or Claudius II (the historical record is oddly unclear for such an important event), the Roman army swiftly regained the initiative, enabled by a newfound tactical flexibility and a spate of technological innovations in armor and weaponry. On this aureus, Diocletian carries a thrusting spear or hasta in his right hand; on his left shoulder he sports an oval cavalry shield, and in his left hand he clutches two smaller lightweight fletched and weighted darts called plumbata with barbed heads. This type of hand-thrown missile (along with the spiculum) augmented or replaced the heavier pilum which had been a staple of Roman arms for more than four centuries. These plumbata would be clipped to the inside of soldiers’ shields and then removed and held in the bearer’s hand prior to being deployed. This ready stance is depicted here.
Another development within the soldiery was that both infantry and cavalry also received archery training. Thus, on command, the Romans could fill the air with deadly missiles, forcing their enemies to duck and cover and softening them up for a decisive charge. Heavy cavalry also began to play a much greater tactical role than in previous centuries. However, the new emphasis for the military was generally based on speed, maneuverability, and striking power at a distance. These innovations are often credited to the era’s “Soldier Emperors” themselves, but they were largely the work of a class of professional officers, many hailing from the Danubian provinces that had become the Empire’s prime recruiting grounds. The military reform movement gained momentum during the troubled reign of Gallienus (AD 253-268) and came into full fruition under his successors, Claudius II (AD 268-270), Aurelian (AD 270-275), and Probus (AD 276-282). By the early joint reign of Diocletian and Maximian, Rome’s enemies had been pushed back, its breakaway states restored to central rule, the Germanic raiders ejected, and the frontiers mostly secured, gaining the Empire a new centuries-long lease on life.
The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 132 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 18-19 May 2026.
CNG Feature Auction 132 – Session Three – Lot 588-888 will be held Tuesday morning, 19 May 2026 beginning at 9:00 AM ET.
Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.
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