Diocletian, as Senior Augustus, 305-311/2. Follis (Silvered bronze, 28 mm, 9.45 g, 6 h), Londinium, circa May 305-Spring 307. D N DIOCLETIANO FELICISSIMO SEN AVG Laureate bust of Diocletian to right, wearing imperial mantle and holding olive branch in his right hand and mappa in his left. Rev. PROVIDENTIA DEORVM QVIES AVGG Providentia standing right, extending her right hand to Quies, standing left, holding branch in her right hand and long scepter in her left. Cloke & Toone 4.01.002. RIC 77a. A lightly silvered example with a very sharp portrait. Struck from slightly worn dies, otherwise, extremely fine.


The Rauceby Hoard was discovered by a detectorist near Ancaster (Lincolnshire) in July 2017, close to Ermine Street, originally a Roman road leading from Londinium (London) to Lindum Colonia (Lincoln) and Eboracum (York). The hoard of over 3000 coins – all tetrarchic folles – was contained in a large ceramic vessel, itself buried at the center of an oval pit lined with quarried limestone. This betrays a deliberate act rather than haphazard burial in the face of danger and, quite possibly, the hoard was a votive offering to the gods. The youngest coin in the hoard was a reduced follis of Maximian, perhaps minted under Constantine I, but no coins of the latter as Augustus were found. This means the hoard was likely buried circa 307, amidst the events of Constantine I’s acclamation as Caesar in Eboracum in 306 and his subsequent elevation to the rank of Augustus in December 307. The importance of the hoard further lies in its well-recorded find context and the fact that it is the largest recorded hoard from this period found in Britain to date.