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Argenteus (Coin) Portraying Emperor Diocletian

A work made of silver.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of silver.

Date:

300, issued by Diocletian or Maximianus

Artist:

Roman, possibly minted in Carthage

About this artwork

The front (obverse) of this coin portrays the head of emperor Diocletian, laureate and facing to the right. The back (reverse) depicts a laurel wreath and inscription. X C V I on the back refers to the reformed silver coinage after 295 CE. The inscription is for the number “96,” meaning 96 silver coins to the pound was Diocletian’s reformed currency. However, it was often struck well under that weight.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Culture

Ancient Roman

Title

Argenteus (Coin) Portraying Emperor Diocletian

Place

Roman Empire (Minted in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

300 CE

Medium

Silver

Inscriptions

Obverse: DIOCLETIANVS AVG Reverse: X C V I

Dimensions

Diam.: 1.7 cm (11/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Martin A. Ryerson

Reference Number

1922.4901

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/5721/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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