Posted 12/12/2017 12:12 pm
I'm admittedly not well read on the silver coins of the late empire, but Crispus did not have any siliquae issued in his name, only the Miliarense, a denomination used to bridge the gap between the heavier Argenteus and the light Siliqua.
I had actually assumed it to be a Siliqua to begin with, and only after a few minutes of research did I realize it was only a follis. In ancient times, the distinction would have been clear, although I'm not sure of the purpose of the silvered coins after Diocletian's reforms. Most silvered LRBs have a negligible silver content (5% or less) but perhaps it made the Romans more proud of their currency to see a handful of seemingly silver coins, even if they were not worth much.
I had actually assumed it to be a Siliqua to begin with, and only after a few minutes of research did I realize it was only a follis. In ancient times, the distinction would have been clear, although I'm not sure of the purpose of the silvered coins after Diocletian's reforms. Most silvered LRBs have a negligible silver content (5% or less) but perhaps it made the Romans more proud of their currency to see a handful of seemingly silver coins, even if they were not worth much.
