Maximinus Thrax Sestertius - Victoria Germanica

This is one of the bronzes I obtained from my acquaintance, the longtime scholar and collector I met with a few weeks ago.
I share his passion for coinage related to roman life in Germania, I was therefore very pleased to be able to acquire this sestertius of Maximinus Thrax from his collection.

Maximinus rose to power after the murder by disgruntled troops of Alexander Severus and his mother in 235 AD in the proximity of Mogontiacum. The legions were dissatisfied with Alexander Severus' reluctance and hesitation in aggressively repulsing an invasion by the germanic tribe of the Alemanni, and chose Maximinus, an experienced legion commander who had risen through the ranks as their Emperor.

Coming from the east, the Alemanni had overrun the Limes and crossed to the west bank of the Rhine penetrating far into Roman territory causing much destruction. Maximinus was successful in pushing back the Alemanni and restoring peace to the province. This coin celebrates this victory.

Maximinus' victories in Germania provided some much needed respite to the province and secured the frontier for some time. However, peace was not to endure. Renewed attacks in the year 254 AD were so severe and caused so much destruction that the Limes was finally totally abandoned around 260 AD, and all its fortifications deserted.


Maximinus I. AD 235-238. Æ Sestertius Rome mint.
Obverse: Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Reverse: Maximinus standing left, holding scepter, being crowned by Victory who holds palm frond; to left, seated German captive.
RIC IV 93; BMCRE 193.

Please post your coins of Maximinus Thrax, one of the so-called soldier-emperors!

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Great strike and lettering. You would not need it to identify the coin. His chin tells it all.

 

What a beautiful OP coin. I only have one Thrax coin, and it doesn't even look like him. He has a bit of an Alexander Severus look to him, probably due to repurposed dies being used just after the news of A. Severus' death and Maximinus' elevation reached Rome.

 

Beautiful bronze, Ed. I like this one very much.

 

Perhaps a forefather of the Hapsburgs

 

Great scene on the reverse, wunderschön - congrats Eduard

 

OR, perhaps an ancestor was Acheloos...


Sicily Gela AR Litra Horse-Achelous 0.63g 13mm 465-450 BCE HGC 2 p 373

 

Victory with captive, almost my ugliest sestertius

 

Reminds me of a Frank Zappa song saying "tried all my life just to grow me a chin !"
Apparently the dude succeeded

Wonderful coin with a very distinctive portrait
Q

 

Thank you all for your comment. Those are some great examples.

Yes, there is no denying the man had quite a chin!

The short-lived reign of this emperor is significant because it marked the beginning of the end of Roman life in much of the areas east of the Rhine.
It was the beginning of an era of great commotion, with internal and external strife, and permanent danger of attack from surrounding tribes. The annals record the destruction left behind by the Alemanni, with many of the villae rusticae in our area east of the Rhine plundered and destroyed, and the civil settlements (vici) burnt to the ground.
Much of it happened not 10 km from my home.

 

Maximinus Thrax was from Thrace. He was very strong. He could put on a female bracelet only a finger.
He had height nearly 2,5 meters. He could catch up with a horse and run long with her nearby.

 

Max suffered from giant gigantism, that's why he was so big and also why the large chin on the bust.

 

That's a fabulous bronze with a wonderful reverse

 

An A+ chin and A+ reverse type, not commonly seen with the emperor beside Victory.

Early portrait:


Later portrait with superior chin dimensions:

 

I love that reverse type! Lovely coin!

I have a Maximinus Thrax sestertius, too:


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

 

Classic coin, Eduard. Thanks also for the write-up.

I have a denarius, celebrating the same victories. The reverse is virtually identical to that of your sestertius, except that they didn't have space to fit ol' Max on it.

 

Eduard => wow, that's a gorgeous OP-winner!!

Here is my only Thrax example ...

Maximinus I (Thrax) AR Denarius

 

Very nice @Eduard

 

that's a sweet sestertius!

this rough as is all i got..... it was 3 bucks so what do you expect.

 

Once again, here is a link to my site on Max Thrax:
http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Maximinus/Maximinus.html
Here is one of the images there. The site is mostly about denarii, but this one is a sestertius:

Maximinus, sestertius, 32 mm, 19.70 grams, 12:00.
MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM. Final portrait style (even more hooked nose than the previous coin)
VICTORIA GERMANICA
Sear 8341, RIC 90, BMC 191