AD 286-310 Roman Bi Nummus Maximian NGC AU

Ancient Coin Is A Reminder Of "The Great Persecution"

Emperor Diocletian was one of the Roman Empire's most successful rulers. During his reign from AD 284 to 305, he ended the Crisis of the Third Century and set the Empire on a path that enabled it to remain essentially intact for another 150 years despite being near the brink of collapse during his youth. Diocletian also appointed junior co-emperors called the Tetrarchy, or "rule of four," in which each "Caesar" would rule over a quarter of what had become a vast empire too large for one man to rule effectively. It is there, however, where Diocletian fell prey to the whims of his co-emperors and instituted the Diocletianic Persecution, the Empire's last, largest, and bloodiest official persecution of Christianity.

No Fan Of The Growing Christian Sect

The two culprits behind the anti-Christian movement were Galerius and Maximian. Though no fan of the growing Christian sect, Diocletian was content to simply forbid them from serving in the government and military. Galerius, however, pushed for complete extermination and convinced Diocletian to seek the advice of an oracle. Whether or not the oracle was in the service of Galerius is anyone's guess, but the end result was that the oracle could not—or would not—provide advice due to the "impious on Earth," who Galerius, Maximian and their cronies claimed were Christians.

The persecution began in earnest in early 303. Churches were razed, clergy were executed, and Christians were thrown to the lions. It was only after Diocletian's death did the bloodletting end. Though Diocletian voluntarily abdicated and retired to his palace in 305, Galerius did not rescind the edict until 311. While thousands of Christians were killed, the Great Persecution not only failed to stamp out Christianity, but it served to only further their resolve. Within a generation, Constantine the Great became the sole emperor of the Roman Empire and he would make Christianity the official state religion.

17-Centuries-Old Roman Nummus

Here you can secure a coin depicting Maximian. As a member of Rome's first tetrarchy, Maximian served as co-emperor, and his campaigns took him to every corner of Rome's domain. These coins were minted around the start of the 3rd century. Although considered billon, the silver content of Roman coins had been radically debased by this time, so these coins are likely less than 10% silver. Unusual for many ancient coins, these are hefty, with plenty of space for the design. Plus, they have been authenticated, certified, and graded by the Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) as being in nice About Uncirculated (AU) condition. Act quick or miss out!