Diocletian FORTVNAE REDVCI AVGG NN from Trier

[Victor]

though rated common in RIC, this type is a bit tougher to find than that.

Diocletian
A.D. 298- 299         
25x28mm    8.6g
IMP DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG; laureate head right.             
FORTVNAE REDVCI AVGG NN; Fortuna seated left, holding rudder set on globe in her right hand and cornucopiae in her left; B in left, ✶in right.
In ex. TR
RIC VI Trier 230a

[Victor]

I had written this one off, but almost three months later, it has arrived from Germany.

[Heliodromus]

I've had some recent ones come quickly from germany, so it seems they are now using air delivery again, but that one must have been on the boat !

[Severus]

Does anyone know the significance of the two different Fortuna types or what is conveyed by the difference-- sitting vs standing? The way everything was so consciously and deliberately paired and arranged under Diocletian, I have a hard time thinking it is just for sake of variety.

[Heliodromus]

The seated or standing Fortuna goes hand-in-hand with the reverse legend :

FORTVNAE REDVCI AVGG NN => seated

FORTVNAE REDVCI CAESS NN => standing

FORTVNAE REDVCI AVGG ET CAESS NN => seated or standing

In other words Fortuna is seated when guiding the augusti's fortune, but standing for the caesars ! Maybe the young upstarts need more guidance ?!

Note that although the seated/standing design goes with the AVGG/CAESS legend, the AVGG/CAESS types were all issued indiscriminately for both the augusti and caesars.

It'd be interesting to look at the history of these types to see if there's any pattern.