Folles of the Tetrarchy

Christianity in Transition;  From Persecution to Salvation

In 284 AD, an experienced soldier from the Danubian province, Diocles, was acclaimed as emperor by his legions under the name Diocletian. This new strong emperor put an end to the 50 years of anarchy that had dominated since the murder of Severus Alexander in 235 AD. Diocletian first had to contend with a rival for the throne: Carinus, emperor in the west since 283 AD. Diocletian defeated Carinus in battle in 285 AD after which Carinus was assassinated by his own officers. Another challenge to the new emperor was a peasant revolt in Gaul. To the West Diocletian sent Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus, commonly known as Maximianus, who successfully quelled the rebellion.

For his services Diocletian elevated Maximianus to co-emperor, in charge of the western provinces, while Diocletian ruled the eastern provinces. Diocletian had quickly realized that the empire was now too vast and unwieldly to be governed by one man, especially given the threat of a revived Persian Empire under the new Sassanian leadership on the fr eastern frontier and the everlasting danger from the German tribes on the northern frontier.

In 293 AD, Diocletian expanded this new system by giving each emperor an assistant with the title of Caesar. Constantius I was made Maximianus' colleague in the west, while Galerius was made Caesar for the East. To strengthen the bonds between these four rulers, or "tetrarchs", Costantius divorced his first wife, Helena, an early Christian and mother of Constantine the Great. Constantius then married Theodora, the stepdaughter of Maximianus, and Galerius divorced his first wife to marry Galeria Valeria, the daughter of Diocletian. This tetrarchy system of rule was soon tested with the rebellion of Domitius Domitianus in Alexandria, Egypt in 296 AD. Diocletian besieged the city successfully and restored imperial rule. Diocletian's reforms of the Roman Empire extended to the currency as well.

In 296 AD, he introduced a new coin called the follis, (plural: folles) which quickly became the standard of the Empire. The old noble silver denarius of Rome had become a small bronze piece through decades of debasement and the political anarchy preceeding Diocletian. The new follis was apparently equal to 25 of the bronze denari in 285 AD, or about 1/5 of a good silver denarius from the time of Vespasian in 75 AD. The new follis had a silver content of 1 part silver to 20 parts copper, and weighed a hefty 10 grams. The blanks planchets of this "billon" or low grade silver alloy were soaked in salt water to leach out the copper on the surface and enhance the silver. When freshly struck these large folles had a spectacular silver appearance which rapidly fades to a dark gray or even coppery look.

In cities all across the empire the mints issuing coins were reorganized and local denominations and designs were discarded. Greek coin legends all became a uniform Latin. The folles, with relatively few variations in designs, became the standard coin of the realm and created a uniformity in coinage that no previous emperor had ever achieved. Each of the mints now had clear mintmarks, and officina (workshop) symbols, so a chain of responsibility could be clearly tracked. The folles struck in London, Egypt, Turkey, Syria and Rome all turn up in hoards uncovered in northern Greece, demonstrating their wide circulation.

Diocletian was justifiably proud of his reforms but he still was faced with the persistent pressure of inflation. He issued an edict attempting to set price and wage controls, which considering human nature, bureaucratic budget juggling, and large mintages of "clad" coins, was doomed to failure. The large body of recorded history concerning this edict helps to track purchasing power. The maximum wage for a skilled laborer was 5 folles a day, while a shepherd could only earn 4. Slaves of course were paid nothing but the going price of a human was anywhere between 1,000 to 10,000 folles depending on their health and skills. A picture painter could charge 30 folles a day. A modius of wheat (18.5 quarts) was fixed at only 8 and 2/3 folles, but the emperor routinely subsidized the price of grain to keep the poor populace from going hungry and revolting. A pound of pork was pegged at 2 and 1/2 folles. A pound of wild pheasant was 25 folles. A peck of salt was 20 folles, and a pound of olive oil or honey was 16 folles. A serving of table wine was about 1 and 2/3 folles. Cheap Egyptian beer was 2/5 follis a pint. The price of a pound of silk brought from the Orient was frozen at 2,400 folles, and the royal purple silk at 30,000 folles a pound.

During the reign of Diocetian the last active persecutions of Christians in the Roman Empire were conducted. In 305 AD he voluntarily abdicated, and compelled the reluctant Maximianus to do the same. After Constantius I and Galerius became the two new Augusti, two new Caesars, both nominees of Galerius, were appointed: Severus II and Maximinus II. The son of Maximianus, Maxentius and the son of Constantius I, Constantine were both passed over for the rank of Caesar. Galerius then effectively controlled 3/4 of the empire. This "Second Tetrarchy" soon showed its imbalance. Constantius I died in Britain in 306 AD, shortly after a border war with the Picts from Scotland. Constantine I, on campaign with his father, was immediately proclaimed emperor by his father's legions.

In an attempt to placate Constantine, Galerius gave him the title of Caesar, whilst elevating Severus II to fill the vacant Augustus position. However, Maxentius, the son of Maximianus, had himself proclaimed Augustus in Italy and he invited his father to become a co-Augustus for a second reign. Galerius sent Severus II to supress the rebellion but Severus was captured and executed by the rebels. Galerius prepared to lead the invasion of Italy himself, prompting Maximianus to seek and conclude an alliance with Constantine. This new alliance gave Constantine I the title of Augustus, and his married Fausta, a daughter of Maximainus in early 307 AD. Galerius invaded Italy but could not take Rome. Many of his troops deserted and he was force to retreat out of Italy to Pannonia. (end of part one, next in Coin World: Christianity becomes the state religion).

Jonathan K. Kern Company is very pleased to offer a superb selection of choice folles from this period which were probably buried in early 307, and may have been a military payroll for the legions of Galerius.  Dates given below were the striking dates for the folles from our hoard, not necessarily regnal years. The coins are mostly unworn, so our lower grade coins are F or VF because of preservation or production problems. Our About Uncirculated coins will be sharp and have much of the silvering intact. Extremely Fine folles have some wear and some silvering or smooth gray surfaces. Very Fine examples usually are this grade because of irregular planchets, verdigris, worn dies or uneven strikes. Fines will have substantial problems for the same reasons.

1. Diocletian, as Augustus, 295 to 305 AD. Abt Unc $97. EF+ $57. VF $37. F $27.

2. Diocletian, struck after his abdication in 305 AD. EF+ $127. VF $77. F+ $47.

3. Maximianus, as Augustus, 295 to 305 AD. Abt Unc $97. EF+ $57. VF $37. F $27.

4. Maximianus, struck after his abdication in 305 AD. EF+ $157. VF $87. F $47.

5. Galerius, as Caesar, 295 to 305 AD, Abt Unc $77. EF $57. VF $37. F $27.

6. Galerius, as Augustus, 305 to 307 AD, Abt Unc $77. EF $57. VF $37. F $27.

7. Constantius I, as Caesar, 295 to 305 AD, Abt Unc $77. EF $57. VF $37. F $27.

8. Constantius I, as Augustus, 305 to 306 AD, Abt Unc $97. EF $67. VF $47. F. $27.

9. Constantine I, the Great, as Caesar, 306 to 307 AD, EF+ $247. VF $97. F $47.

10. Severus II, as Caesar, follis 305 to 306 AD. Abt Unc $197. EF $97. VF $67. F $47.

11. Severus II, as Augustus, follis 306 to 307 AD. Abt Unc $277. EF $157. VF $117. F $67.

12. Maximinus II, as Caesar, 305 to 307 AD. Abt Unc $137. EF $57. VF $37. F $27.

Quantity Discounts. 5 or more coins take 5% off, 10 or more coins take 10% off.