Maximianus. First reign, AD 286-305. Æ Medallion (37mm, 26.02 g, 12h). Rome (or Carthage) mint. Struck AD 297-298. VF.

Keystone 17 – The W. Toliver Besson Collection
Lot: 263. Estimated: $ 5 000

Roman Imperial, Bronze

Sold For $ 6 500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Maximianus. First reign, AD 286-305. Æ Medallion (37mm, 26.02 g, 12h). Rome (or Carthage) mint. Struck AD 297-298. VIRTVS MAXIMIANI AVG, laureate and cuirassed half-length bust left, breastplate adorned with gorgoneion aegis, holding a horse by the bridle and carrying a shield on his shoulder which is decorated by the she-wolf left, head right, nursing the twins Romulus and Remus / MONETA AVGG, the Tres Monetae standing left, each holding scale over pile of coins and a cornucopia. Gnecchi II p. 129, 18 and pl. 127, 6; G. Malingue, “Un médaillon de bronze de l’Empereur Maximien Hercule frappé à Carthage” in BSFN (2007), p. 121, fig. 10. Gilt, minor breaks in gilding, scratches, flan crack, smoothing. VF.

From the W. Toliver Besson Collection. Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 138 (18 May 2023), lot 819; Numismatica Ars Classica 100 (29 May 2017), lot 618.

The Tres Monetae, female personifications of the metals of gold, silver, and bronze used to strike coins, regularly appear on Imperial medallions during the economic crisis of the second half of the third century and reflect the efforts of a series of emperors to revive the economy through monetary reform. By the time of the Tetrarchy, massive inflation had crippled the economy and Diocletian implemented dramatic economic reforms, which included the introduction of the silver argenteus and bronze follis in AD 294/5.

G. Malingue in his 2007 article hypothesizes that this series of medallions was possibly struck in Carthage utilizing resources from the Rome mint.

Closing Date and Time: 22 July 2026 at 11:27:20 ET.



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