Diocletian, 284-305. Follis (Bronze, 29 mm, 9.82 g, 12 h), Treveri, circa 298-299. IMP DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG Cuirassed bust of Diocletian to right, wearing laureate and crested helmet decorated with a volute on the bowl. Rev. GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI / B - ✱ / TR The Genius of the Roman people, nude but for chlamys, standing front, head to left, wearing kalathos and holding patera in his right hand and cornucopiae in his left. RIC 281a. Very rare and with an attractive bust type. Retoned and with some flan faults, otherwise, good very 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.