Diocletian, 284 – 305
Medallion circa 290, Æ 39.22 g. IMP C C VAL DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG Laureate and cuirassed bust r., wearing decorated imperial mantle. Rev. MONETA AVG The three Monetae standing facing, the outer two with heads l., holding scales and cornucopiae; at their feet, heaps of coins. C 320 var. (draped and cuirassed). Gnecchi –, cf. pl. 124, 8 (draped and cuirassed). Toynbee –. An apparently unrecorded variety. A spectacular medallion struck on a very broad flan and with an impressive portrait of fine style. Traces of the original gilding still visible. Minor areas of porosity in fields, otherwise about extremely fine Ex Hess-Leu 16th April 1964, 345. The most familiar reverse type of later Roman medallions is devoted to the Tres Monetae. It perhaps first appeared on a brass medallion of Commodus, after which it becomes a staple throughout most of the 3rd Century. Initially it featured inscriptions such as AEQVITAS PVBLICA(E) or AEQVITAS AVGVSTI, but by the reign of Trajan Decius (A.D. 249-251) it had assumed its most familiar inscription MONETA AVG(G). Each of the three figures holds a cornucopia and set of scales, and stands beside a heap of coins. Invariably the two outer figures hold scales hung at the end of rods or cords of more or less equal length, whereas the central figure suspends her scale from a much longer rod or cord. Since the figures represent the three principal coining metals – gold, silver and copper – we may presume the central figure represents gold, and that her distinctive presentation indicates the more careful standard to which gold was weighed.