Domitus Domitianus, 296-297 Follis Alexandria circa 297, Æ 25.00 mm., 10.20 g.
IMP C L DOMITIVS DOMITIANVS AVG Laureate head r. Rev. GENIO POPV – L – I ROMANI Genius standing l., with modius on head and naked but for chlamys over l. shoulder, holding patera in r. hand and cornucopiae in l.; in field l., eagle. In field r., A and in exergue, ALE. RIC 20.

Very rare and in exceptional condition for the issue. A lovely untouched brown-green patina patina and Extremely fine

The personal history of Lucius Domitius Domitianus and the circumstances of his attempted usurpation in Egypt remain obscure. All that is known for certain is that early in Diocletian's Tetrarchy, Egypt attempted to break away from the Empire, perhaps spurred by Roman military setbacks against Persia in AD 296. Historical records name the leader of the revolt as a certain Aurelius Achilleus, who took the title “Corrector of Egypt,” but it is uncertain whether this rebel was the same man as Domitianus, or whether he was a supporter of Domitianus, or perhaps even a general who instigated the revolt and selected Domitianus as a figurehead ruler. In addition to bronze folles such as this one on the regular imperial denominational system, Domitianus also struck coins on the old Egyptian standard, all of them dated “Year Two,” suggesting the revolt lasted longer than a year. The rebels may have had pro-Persian sympathies or may have been directly supported by the Persians. In any case, Diocletian undertook to crush the rebellion in mid-AD 297 and stormed Alexandria after a bitter siege. The fates of Domitianus and his alter-ego or backer Achilleus are unknown, but no doubt unpleasant. Diocletian's rage at the city was such that one chronicler claims he vowed to slaughter the inhabitants until blood reached his horse's knees. Fortunately, his horse stumbled early in the pogrom, sparing thousands of lives. The Alexandrians, famous for their fatalistic humour, later erected a bronze statue of Diocletian’s horse. This rare bronze follis of Domitianus is identical in most respects to the pre-revolt coins struck in Alexandria for Diocletian and the other three tetrarchs, with an imperial portrait rendered in the almost generic “hard” style of the period. The reverse depicts the Genius, or spirit, of the Roman People, pouring out a libation with an eagle, representing Jupiter, at his feet.