Featured Maximinus Thrax

Thanks, I've clarified my post: it is indeed minted for his son, attributed as:

Maximinus I. Thrax, 235-238. - for Maximus. Æ Sesterce, 236/238, Rome; 18.96 g. Draped bust r .; in field l. Gonzaga family collector's mark: eagle vv, silver-plated // Maximus as Prince stands l. with staff and spear, behind it two standards. BMC 213; Coh. 14; RIC 13

(also Ex. HC Levis Collection, Ars Classica Auction 11 lot 831, June 18, 1925)

 

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Do you happen to know that the inlay is on the coin? Eagle? Phoenix?

Is it another coin? It appears to be a Greek fractional.

 

My only Maximinus, with as you could probably guess has a building on it.
Maximinus, Thrace Anchialus, 27mm, 12 gm, AMNG 11 592.

 

Very enjoyable thread!......Some stunning coins shown especially the big bronzes!

Maximinus I Denarius. AD 235-238...3.18gr
Obverse..IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped bust right.
Reverse..FIDES MILITVM, Fides standing left, a standard in each hand.
RIC 7A Minted AD 235-236

 

Nice @Justin Lee. Here's mine, acquired this year:

 

It is a small eagle. Also interesting details in the description here :
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=656033

 

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

 

..he could grow on ya (and THAT was Apollo)..i just watched that one again the other nite....(i watch a least one most every nite ^^)..my grade A large sest. of a grade A large emperor..(plus he was the only emperor never to have entered Rome)..heck, my coin's so big, it took me 10 tries to upload it...

 

This question brings up a matter of opinion. I am making an attempt to stop giving opinions here but it is a fact that some of us consider a coin in the name of Maximus as Caesar under Maximinus to be a coin of Maximinus issued for Maximus. Semantics. This gets a lot harder if you collect coins of the later periods where certain mints were under the control of one Augustus who issued coins in the name of the other Augusti and a pile of lesser persons. Keeping them straight requires me to spend time memorizing lists and updating them when someone writes a paper changing the attribution or assignment of a city for a period when it was taken over by another man. It is easier to catalog coins based on the name written on them but that runs into problems when we see periods like Plantagenet England (the Henry group) and the Parthians. There are few answers that solve all questions. I choose not to let such concerns ruin my enjoyment of the coins.

 

I have a couple of Thrax's.



Maximinus I Thrax (Augustus)
Coin: Silver Denarius
IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG - Laureate and draped bust right.
PROVIDENTIA AVG - Providence standing left with cornucopiae & wand pointed at globe at foot.
Mint: Rome (235-236 AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 3.06g / 21mm / 6h
References:
RIC 13
RSC 77
BMC 15
Acquisition/Sale: Savoca Coins Internet 21st Blue Auction #1600 $0.00 06/19
Notes: Jun 23, 19 - The Gary R. Wilson Collection.





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.

 

That's a beautiful eagle, and quite a nice coin, too. My Nerva, on the other hand, would hardly be called a nice coin, but of course, I acquired it for the silver inlay. These have also been given to the d"Este family, and there is a web site devoted to them. You may already be aware of it, but if you are not: http://www.esteproject.it/en/

 

More big bronzes of the Thracian´s family:
Maximinus with what I find is his most iconic reverse type,
Maximus Caesar as Princeps Iuventutis,
and introducing Maximinus´ late wife Diva Paulina:


MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM - laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Maximinus right
VICTORIA GERMANICA S C - 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 VI 93; BMCRE 198 and pl. 40; Cohen 114; MIR 26-5; Sear 8342; Banti 33


MAXIMVS CAES GERM - bare-headed and draped bust of Maximus right
PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS S C - Maximus, in military attire, standing left, holding rod pointing downwards in right hand and transverse spear in left, two standards behind.
Sestertius, Rome September 236 – April 238 aD
32,13 mm / 20,36 gr
RIC IV 13; BMCRE 213; Cohen 14; MIR 37-5; Sear 8411; Banti 6


DIVA PAVLINA - Veiled and draped bust of Paulina right
CONSECRATIO S C - Paulina, raising hand and holding scepter, seated l. on peacock flying upward upward to right.
Sestertius, Rome ca. September-December 236.
31,9 mm, 23.46 gr
RIC IV 3 and plate XI (same dies); BMCRE 132; Cohen 3; MIR 38d-5; Sear 8401; Banti 1 (same dies)

 

I was not aware of that website: a fantastic resource, thanks! And your Nerva has clearly seen a lot of love over the centuries and is still a wonderful coin with a lot of character.

 

Nice coins all!

He's a historically fascinating man who minted beautiful, varied, and affordable coins. Collecting just one Max Thrax is like just eating a single potato chip - can't do it!

Earliest portrait - a modified Severus Alexander bust


Liberalitas - the coin paid out to the soldiers who had murdered Severus Alexander and named him emperor, setting the stage for the Crisis


This is about the closest to an FDC coin I own - lustrous like it was minted last week


Full acromegaly portrait


A sestertius minted for TR P IIII - the first couple of months in 238 before Rome declared loyalty to the Gordians

 

Jaw, Jaw is better than War, War.

W S Churchill

 

Thanks for your kind words, Ancient Joe. I'm glad you like the site. It has a decent bibliography. It would certainly be harder to find a coin with a recognizable provenance than ours. Many years ago, I bought from a local coin shop 4-5 Roman coins with late 18th/early 19th century collector labels. The coins were pleasant, but hardly choice, specimens. But the labels were all written in Latin, save for a Paduan type medallion of Septimius Severus, that had also the single German word "falsch" on it. The labels were square pieces of paper and were folded over each coin, making, as it were, a coin envelope. As I say, I only bought them for their labels, and for the fact that I was charged $3 per coin.

 

What a stunning coin. Trying to unsee it after looking at prices for much shabbier specimens.

 

The site is also new to me. I had no idea that there were so many non-Roman coins bearing the eagle mark.

 

The effect of the eagle mark on the Byzantine gold is downright ugly.