Maximianus. First reign, AD 286-305. AR Argenteus (20mm, 3.21 g, 12h). Nicomedia mint, 3rd officina. 4th emission, AD 298-299. EF.

CNG Feature Auction 133
Lot: 598. Estimated: $ 500

Roman Imperial, Coin-in-Hand Video, Silver

Sold For $ 850. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Maximianus. First reign, AD 286-305. AR Argenteus (20mm, 3.21 g, 12h). Nicomedia mint, 3rd officina. 4th emission, AD 298-299. Laureate head right / City gate with four turrets, doors open, and star above archway; SMNΓ. RIC VI 25b; Gautier, Argent 20q (this coin); RSC 553c. Toned, hairline flan crack, scrape on reverse. EF. Well struck on a broad flan.

Ex CGB e-Monnaies 3 (30 June 2015), lot 127; CGB 59 (19 August 2013), lot 426.

In AD 294-295, the newly formed Tetrarchy introduced a new silver coin with a high purity that was the same size and weight as the denarii of Nero struck 230 years earlier. The new coin, called an argenteus nummus, was a critical part of Diocletian’s plan to restore confidence in the economy and government. These argentei were issued with the names and portraits of all four rulers of the First Tetrarchy—the senior emperors (Augusti) Diocletian and Maximianus, and the junior emperors (Caesares) Galerius and Constantius Chlorus. Rendered in the “hard” artistic style of the time, the portraits appear very similar, creating a visual representation that emphasized the government’s unity. Their portraits were portrayed with subtle differences that distinguish the four rulers while maintaining cohesion. Reverses stressed the Empire’s new status as a secure fortress, showing either the four Tetrarchs sacrificing before a circuit of walls, or a military camp gate surmounted by turrets. Intended to stabilize the Roman economy and eliminate inflation, the argenteus seems to have had the opposite effect, as the coins were widely hoarded for their silver content, rather than circulating in daily commerce.

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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