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In 295 AD, after eleven years in power, Diocletian removed all of the old coin types (with the exception of the Aureus) and introduced three new types; the silver Argenteus, the silver foil covered Follis (also known as a Nummus), and the Bronze Radiate. A new gold type, the Solidus, followed shortly after, but didn’t really gain traction under Diocletian’s reign. As he was in power for such a long time before the reforms, you can find pre-reform and post-reform coins with his name.
The relative values of Diocletian’s coins are not yet known, although attempts have been made to determine them.
| Metal | Denomination | Weight | Notes |
| Gold | Solidus | Introduced in 301 AD to replace the Aureus but didn’t gain much traction and was abandoned | |
| Aureus | 5.3g | Replaced in 310 AD by the Solidus. It continued to be struck in the East of the empire until 324 AD, and then occasionally until the end of the 4th century | |
| Silver | Argenteus | 3.1g | The Argenteus failed as a coin because if its good quality. The population either hoarded it, or used it for international trade, so it rarely circulated. Production stopped around 300 AD, started again in 305 AD with a much reduced volume, and stopped in 310 AD. As a result of them being hoarded, they are generally good quality coins with little circulation wear. They are also rare. |
| ½ Argenteus | 1.5g (?) | Introduced between 306-307 AD. These coins are quite scarce | |
| Silver Plated Billon | Follis/Nummus | 10g | The exact name is uncertain, but may have been called the Nummus by the Romans. They started out as large coins, around 10g and 30mm, but rapidly underwent reductions in size and weight. These are sometimes called Reduced Follis or Reduced Nummus. |
| Bronze | Post-reform Radiate | 3g | The Pre-Reform Radiate was the Antoninianus. They are visually similar, but the Pre-Reform Radiate has XXI on the reverse and the Post-Reform Radiate doesn’t. Inflation quickly made these obsolete. |
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