Diocletian, 284-305. Donative aureus (Gold, 24 mm, 6.31 g, 7 h), on the heavy standard, Rome, 286, after April 1. IMP C C VAL DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG Radiate, lightly bearded and draped bust of Diocletian to right, seen from behind. Rev. IOVI CO-NSER-VAT AVGG Jupiter, nude but for drapery over his shoulders, standing to left, holding a thunderbolt in his right hand and long scepter with his left. Calicó 4466/7 var., Depeyrot 2B/1 var., Lukanc Rome, 8 var., RIC V, 2, p. 234, 137 var. (undated, but all with cuirassed busts, rather than solely with drapery as here). Cf. Bastien, Beaurains, p. 69, 128 for a similar radiate aureus - but cuirassed - with very similar edge marks on the reverse. Extremely rare and possibly unpublished with this bust type and in such a heavy weight. Struck on a broad flan, well-centered and toned. Minor edge marks, otherwise, about extremely fine. From The Dr. Ivo Lukanc Collection of the Gold Coinage of Diocletian, acquired in Paris in the late 1980s. Iconographically this coin's obverse harks back to the radiates struck during the later 3rd century and is in no way unusual. However, its unusual weight - 6.31 g - marks it as being truly remarkable. It is a coin that previously would be termed a binio or double-aureus. Unfortunately, since the AVGG in the reverse legend means it has to have been struck after 1 April 286, when Maximianus was given the title of Augustus, it is somewhat too light to have been struck on the light, c. 4.50 g standard (i.e., c. 6.75 g); and very much too light to have been struck on the heavy, c. 5.50 g standard (i.e., it would have to be 7.75 g). It might be considered a mint error, but the fact that another seemingly normal (albeit extremely rare) 'aureus' of Diocletian was struck in Ticinum in 293 in the same weight (below, lot 43) indicates that it must have been deliberate. Since both of these coins are too light to be medallions - gold medallions of Diocletian are known valued at between 1 1/2 (8.93 g) and 10 aurei (c. 52 - 54 g) - they must be special, donative aurei of slightly heavy weight. Perhaps they were produced to be given to people who were not deserving of true medallions but who, nevertheless, were meant to receive more than normal aurei. https://cdn.nomosag.com/auctions/95/video00018.mp4?sv=2023-01-03&ss=b&srt=co&st=2025-03-10T16%3A25%3A27Z&se=2099-03-11T16%3A25%3A00Z&sp=rl&sig=i7RzFAqwYGMJUp3u71BbRyL3HhIAtR%2F8cUnRnTVQfyU%3D&rsct=video%2Fmp4