Welcome!

Welcome to my little corner of the Internet. This site is devoted to classical numismatics—in other words, ancient coins—and specifically to coins of the Roman Tetrarchy, as expressed through my own collection. It also includes a number of pages of more general numismatic interest, so I hope you will browse the site no matter what your interests.

The Tetrarchy

This period begins with the ascent to power of Diocletian in 284 AD, and ends during the reign of Constantine the Great about 40 years later. It is so called because early in his reign, Diocletian took the extraordinary step of dividing the office of Emperor into two parts, giving the other to his military colleague, Maximianus. Diocletian established his capital in the East, at Nicomedia, while Maximianus ruled from his Western capital of Mediolanum (modern Milan). Shortly thereafter, he split the office again, empowering two additional colleagues—Constantius, in Gaul, and Galerius, in the Balkans.

Clink on a link below to see the coins of this period organized by each of the emperors. Use the "Special topics" links to explore more about the coinage of this era.

CITIES

EMPERORS

©2010 by Robert Bernobich.
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