My new 8 feet tall sestertius

I didn't have a big bronze of Maximinus Thrax in my collection."Big bronze"is a particularly appropriate expression for this emperor. The Roman historian Herodian wrote about him :

"There was in the Roman army a man named Maximinus whose half-barbarian family lived in a village in the most remote section of Thrace. They say that as a boy he was a shepherd, but that in his youthful prime he was drafted into the cavalry because of his size and strength." (History VI,6.1)

"He wanted no one around him who was superior to him in birth, desiring to act the tyrant as if from a lofty height, with no one near to whom he must defer."
(History VII,3)
"The emperor's appearance was frightening and his body was huge; not easily would any of the skilled Greek athletes or the best-trained warriors among the barbarians prove his equal." (History VII,12)

In Historia Augvsta we also found those details about him :

"He was of such size, so Cordus reports, that men said he was six inches over eight feet in height." (The two Maximini VI,8)

"Maximinus was almost eight and a half feet tall; and certain men deposited a shoe of his, that is, one of his royal boots, in a grove which lies between Aquileia and Arcia because, sooth, they agreed that it was a foot longer than the measure of any foot of man." (The two Maximini XX III,8)

So the guy was really big, he only ruled for a big three years, and after him the whole empire was in big trouble... He was finally killed by his own soldiers, perhaps beheaded, at the age of 65 and at only 7 feet tall...
So here's my new baby. Feel free to post your examples of Big Maximinus Thrax.

Maximinus I Sestertius
30mm 15.90g. Rome
IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG / VICTORIA AVG SC

 

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Great BIG oval coin!
Love the old stories of this guy. Over 8 feet tall, beats up 8 guys at once, you could fit a hard boiled egg through any ring on his fingers! (Oh, wait, that last one was about Andre the giant!)


Father giant:

MAXIMINUS
235-238 AD. AR Denarius (18.55mm, 2.8 gm). Struck January 1, 236-Summer 236 AD. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Emperor standing facing, head left, between two standards, holding inverted spear. RIC IV 3; Alram16-3/B; RSC 55. EF. Attractive portrait.

And son:

Maximus.Caesar
PHRYGIA, Acmoneia. AD 235/6-238. Æ 28mm (12.80 g, 6h). Homonoia with Eumeneia. Bare-headed and draped bust right / Tyche of Acmoneia standing right, holding cornucopia, clasping hands with Tyche of Eumeneia standing left, holding cornucopia. Franke & Nollé 35 (Vs. A/1); Winterthur 4026. Near VF,

 

Nice one! I saw that coin go thru my watch list... You would've had competition if I didn't already have this one:


Maximinus Thrax, Ruled 235-238 AD
AE Sestertius, Rome Mint
Struck 235-236 AD, 2nd Emission
Obverse: IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right.
Reverse: VICTORIA AVG, Victory, winged, draped, advancing right, holding wreath in extended right hand and palm in left hand, S-C across fields.
References: RIC IV 67
Size: 30mm, 17.0g

 

..yup he was a biggun(and so is the coin)....from his features and description, he likely suffered from, or was blessed with, gigantism

 

Here's my "biggie".



Maximinus I Thrax (Augustus)
Coin: Brass Sestertius
IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG - Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
SALVS AVGVSTI - Salus seated left, feeding serpent rising from altar; SC in exergue.
Exergue: SC


Mint: Rome (235-236 AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 19.85g / 30mm / 12h
References:
RIC IV 64
Cohen 88
Acquisition/Sale: rzeczplita eBay $0.00 05/19
Notes: May 5, 19 - The Gary R. Wilson Collection.

 

I got this one last month:



Maximinus. Sestertius. 31-29 mm. 22.90 grams.
MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM. Final portrait style.
PM TRP IIII COS PP, emperor standing left, right hand raised, left holding long vertical staff, three standards, two on the left and one on the right.
RIC 40. BMC 221. Year 4 is 238. This issue from his last year is very small. Maximinus lost control of the Rome mint when the Gordians were proclaimed emperors at Rome in the beginning of April, 238. BMC thinks the mint had been preparing even before that by not issuing many coins in the name of Maximinus in 238.

For much more about Maximinus, see my site:
http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Maximinus/Maximinus.html

 

My favorite Max Thrax is this big Cilician provincial, struck on an oversized 38mm flan.


MAXIMINUS THRAX
AE Hexassarion. 20.44g, 38mm. CILICIA Anazarbus, circa AD 235-238. Ziegler 663 (Vs2/Rs4), SNG Levante 1480 (same obv. Die); RPC VI temp 7446/2 (this coin). O: AY K G IOY OYH MAZIMEINOC CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: ANAZ END MHTRO B/G, female figure (Synthysia), holding bipennis over shoulder, standing left before bull standing left, CYNQYCIA OI/KOYMENHC, (ME and NH ligate).
Ex Kelly J. Krizan, M.D. Collection; ex Classical Numismatic Group 53 (15 Mar 2000), lot 1130

 

He’s a quite fascinating guy, I think.
It’s also interesting that his portraits vary so much. Potter writes that he never set foot in Rome, maybe they didn’t know exactly what he looked like

 

He is an interesting looking fellow.
AE31 Ninica Claudiopolis, Cilicia - they ran out of obverse space so completed the legend with a second row inside the first: MAXI / MINVS
These have sold cheaply on CNG because their clientele is not into even the better quality ones.


Of course there is the Alexandrian big billon tetradrachm.

 

Nice one! And with a lovely emerald patina, too!

Here's a Max Thrax sestertius:


Maximinus I, AD 235-238.
Roman Æ Sestertius, 26.7 mm, 18.01 gm.
Rome, AD 236-238.
Obv: MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM, Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: SALVS AVGVSTI SC, Salus enthroned left, feeding snake arising from altar.
Refs: RIC-85; BMCRE-175, Sear-8338; Cohen-92.

 

Here's a denarius - FIDES MILITVM.

Maximinus I Thrax, 235-238 A.D.

AR Denarius. 19mm, 3.7 grams

Obverse: IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG
Diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right

Reverse: FIDES MILITVM
Fides standing between two standards

Reference: RIC 18A; Sear 8307






Maximinus is an emperor who may have participated in battle in northern Germany during his reign.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_at_the_Harzhorn

 

Not the big chin type but what the heck it's there with his wife and Jr.







Q

 

Sooo, Maximinus literally became Maxi Minus (a head)!

 

Maximinus is one of those emperors you can't have just one of

Early portrait


Intermediate portrait



Late portrait


And a TRP IIII / early 238 AD sestertius


And I have only one big coin of lil' Maximus

 

He certainly did. Here is Victory herself crowning him for his VICTORIA GERMANICA:



MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM - laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Maximinus right
VICTORIA GERMANICA - Maximinus, in military attire, standing left, his right hand raised, holding spear in left, German captive seated left at his feet, looking back, emperor crowned by Victory standing left behind him, also holding palm.
Sestertius, Rome ca. September-December 236
32,34 mm / 21,64 gr
RIC 93; BMCRE 198 and pl. 40; Cohen 114; MIR 26-5

Here is my writeup on his campaign:
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ma...-germanica-the-battle-at-the-harzhorn.306344/

...and on my visit to the battle site:
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/vi...attlefield-and-göttingen-coin-cabinet.316487/

 

My one Maximinus coin: Maximinus I Thrax AR Denarius, 236/38 AD. Obv. Laureate bust right, draped & cuirassed, MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM/ Rev. Fides stdg., facing, head left, holding standard in each hand, FIDES MILITVM. RIC IV-2 18A, RSC III 9, Sear RCV III 8307. 20 mm., 2.77 g.



(Seller's image.) The same type as the one that ancient coin hunter posted, but with a much more impressively prominent chin!

 

Maximinus I Thrax Ar Denarius 236-237 A.D. Rv. VICTORIA GERM Victory standing left with captive before her. RIC 23 3.07 grms 18 mm

 

RI Maximinus Thrax 235-238 CE AR Denarius Victory stndg