A new addition. We haven't had a Max Thrax thread in a while. Post your Maximinus I (and family) coins! Maximinus I, AD 235-238. Roman AR denarius, 3.13 g, 19.2 mm, 6 h. Rome, 2nd emission, AD 236. Obv: IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: PROVIDENTIA AVG, Providentia standing left, holding baton and cornucopiae; globe at feet. Refs: RIC 13; BMCRE 86-88; Cohen 77; RSC 77a; RCV 8315; MIR 11-3.
Maximinus I have some good Provincials, too. Alexandria tetradrachms Anchialus dolphin and fish - This city demonstrates a rule of Greek language 'euphony'. The Greek letters spell out AGCHIALEON but AGCH sticks in your throat so they inserted an unwritten N to make it pronounceable. When translated into the Latin alphabet, they wrote the N and not the G providing a point of confusion for students. Anchialus Apollo Anchialus Ares I have always been fond of this AE31 of Ninica Claudiopolis. I bought it as a Maximus but, despite the bare head portrait, the legend reads Maximinus. To accomplish this, the die cutter ran out of room obverse right after MAXI and started a second, inner, row with MINVS. One can forgive the confusion. The examples of this coin I have seen tend to be damaged by poorly applied countermarks of which only the star at the left is clear here. The other three just muddle the obverse and flatten the reverse. There are Provincials for Maximus, too. This four assaria is Tomis with Hygeia feeding her snake. In Imperials, I have never been able to get a satisfactory photo of this somewhat smoothed Maximus sestertius. Nice ones tend to be out of my price bracket.
@Roman Collector......Nice coin! I've one from early in his reign... 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
This is my latest Maximinus Thrax - this is one of the better portraits in my collection, although the reverse is pretty beat up: Maximinus I Æ Sestertius (235-236 A.D.) Rome Mint IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right (third-type bust) / SALVS AVGVSTI, S C in ex, Salus seated left, feeding from patera a serpent arising from altar. RIC 64; Cohen 88. (20.02 grams / 28 mm) Here is my only Provincial of this guy. I think. Who else could it be with that chin? I was really guessing on the attribution - corrections gratefully accepted! Maximinus I Æ 18 (c. 235-238 A.D.) Prusa ad Olympum, Bithynia [Γ ΙΟV ΟVΗ ΜΑΖЄΙΜЄΙΝΟC] A, laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right / [ΠΡ]Ο[VCΑЄΩΝ], cult statue of Artemis of Ephesus standing facing. RPC Online 3055 (Uncertain?). (5.02 grams / 18 x 16 mm)
One of my favorites: Maximinus I (Thrax), AR Denarius (20 mm, 3.04 g), Rome, 236-237. MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Maximinus I to right/ Rev. VICTORIA GERM Victory standing front, head to left, holding wreath in her right hand and palm frond with her left; German captive at feet. RIC 23
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
..very nice one RC...looks to be "mint state"...my only coin of the fella.. Max Thrax(235-238) sestertius emperor right obverse with winged Victory standing holding wreath & palm with captive below left reverse 30mm 19.05gms RIC 90
Neat, and timely for me, since I happen to be reading the Pearson biography of Max Thrax at the moment. (I promised the book to @kazuma78 when I'm done with it.) I like it so far. Quite readable; well researched but not too scholarly. It is the first "printed on dead trees" book I have read in about two years, which is rather astonishing, given the huge stacks I used to take home from the public library in years gone by. Maximinus Thrax: From Common Soldier to Emperor of Rome Hardcover – Illustrated, May 23, 2017 by Paul N. Pearson (Author) 55 ratings
This VICTORIA GERM denarius from my long-gone 2007-08 novice collection is the only Max Thrax I have owned. I do, of course, want another, particularly since delving into the book above. How often do y'all's reading selections spur certain coin purchases? It happens to me from time to time.
It was only earlier this summer that I got my first Max Thrax coin and have since ended up with a handful: And his golden boy:
Scholarship these days seems to indicate that Maximinus was not as fiendish as he is portrayed in the sources. A capable commander, he had risen through the ranks to become emperor. His chief opponents were in the Senate who believed the emperor must come from the Senatorial class. And the narrative was picked up by contemporary historians who besmirched his character and everything about the man. In recent years we have also seen the partial rehabilitation of Gallienus' reputation.
I agree - here's mine Maximinus I Ӕ31 of Anemurium, Cilicia. Dated RY 1 = AD 235. AVT K Γ IO OVHPON MAΞIMEINON, radiate bust right, wearing decorated cuirass ЄΤ Α (date) ΑΝЄΜΟΥΡΙЄѠΝ, Perseus standing facing, head left, wearing winged boots and chlamys, holding harp and severed head of Medusa. RPC Online 7009 (temporary); SNG France 708. 13.76g, 31mm, 6h.
Here are my only two again -- nothing new, I'm afraid. 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. Maximus Caesar (son of Maximinus I) AR Denarius, 235-38 AD. Obv. Draped bust right, IVL VERVS MAXIMVS CAES / Rev. Sacrificial implements: lituus [curved augural staff], knife, jug, simpulum [ladle] & sprinkler, PIETAS AVG. RIC IV-2 1, RSC III 1, Sear RCV III 8404, BMCRE 118. 19 mm., 1.7 g.
Gordian III was later; I believe he may have been the last to issue ostensibly silver denarii regularly*, in addition to his antoniniani. There are also denarii from Balbinus and Pupienus in between. * Aurelian issued a small number later on.