Diocletian. AD 284-305. Æ Follis (26mm, 10.15 g, 6h). Londinium (London) mint. Struck circa AD 295-296. Near EF.

CNG Feature Auction 133
Lot: 595. Estimated: $ 750

Roman Imperial, Bronze, Coin-in-Hand Video

Sold For $ 3 500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Diocletian. AD 284-305. Æ Follis (26mm, 10.15 g, 6h). Londinium (London) mint. Struck circa AD 295-296. Laureate head right / Genius standing left, loins draped, holding patera and cornucopia; LON. RIC VI –; RML 14; C&T 1.01.001A. Dark brown patina, partial silvering, hard green deposits at edge, minor cleaning scratches. Near EF. Extremely rare. In exceptional condition for this very difficult issue.

Diocletian’s tetrarchy (‘rule of four’) was devised to replace the unstable system of family dynasties which was greatly responsible for the military chaos of the previous century. Central to this system was the founding of two imperial houses, each with an Augustus and Caesar, which would oversee respective portions of the empire. Another Tetrarchic reform was the establishment of new mints throughout the Roman Empire, including one at Londinium in Britannia. The earliest Tetrarchic issues of Londinium carried no mint mark; after that, LON was briefly employed before being replaced by PLN and other letter combinations. Early folles with the LON mintmark are among the rarest Roman London mint issues.

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 133 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 15-16 September 2026.

CNG Feature Auction 133 – Session Three – Lot 595-896 will be held Wednesday morning, 16 September 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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