My first Maximinus Thrax denarius

Before collecting ancients, I was not aware of the existence of Maximinus Thrax. I think I first saw his coins here on CT and I was impressed by his portrait and his story.
I read Historia Augusta (being fully aware that it might be mainly fiction and taking it with a grain of salt).
I am not sure how much is true from Maximinus Thrax's history, but I like to think something is, perhaps 1%. Anyway, he was not a short man.
From wiki page:
According to Historia Augusta, "he was of such size, so Cordus reports, that men said he was eight-foot, one finger (c. 2.4 metres) in height". He is also in The List Of Tallest People, he is listed at 7 feet and 10 inches. It is very likely however that this is one of the many exaggerations in the Historia Augusta, and is immediately suspect due to its citation of "Cordus", one of several fictitious authorities the work cites.

Many legends survived - he drank 26 liters of wine every day (probably the amount I drink in 5 years), he was using his wife's bracelet as a thumb ring.
Anyway what is certain is that Maximinus Thrax ruled in a very agitated period of the Roman Empire and his reign was not exactly peaceful.

He is not one of the rare emperors and getting a Maximinus Thrax in "one coin per emperor" collections is not a very difficult task.

Last year I managed to buy a cheap Sestertius and I am satisfied with it, especially the reverse. The obverse is corroded and probably this is what other bidders didn't like. I don't mind. But what I would have liked - the portrait to show better the acromegaly.

Sestertius Æ
30 mm., 19,25 g.
RIC IV Maximinus Thrax 64
Date Range: AD 235 - AD 236
IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, bust of Maximinus I, laureate, draped, cuirassed, right / SALVS AVGVSTI S C, Salus, draped, seated left, feeding out of patera in right hand snake coiled round altar

So when there was still budget remaining in auctions (my main interest stops at the beginning on 3rd century so when auctions reached Thrax, usually all the budget is gone), I tried to steal a coin from him.
My attempts failed, either I didn't like the coins or when I liked them, they were too expensive as the price I was willing to pay for a coin suiting my tastes would have been 40 EUR maximum.
Managed to get one. The portrait is exactly what i wanted - the only issue on the coin is on the reverse, at 12 o clock, where probably a bad die/clumsy work made the year almost absent. After checking the possible similar coins, I think it can only be TRP II
AD 236
Very pleased with the coin and it has a reverse I didn't have in my collection so another plus. And it was cheaper than my estimate, so a good addition.


21 mm, 2,38 g.
AD 236
MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM, bust of Maximinus I, laureate, draped, cuirassed, right / P M TR P II COS P P, Maximinus Thrax, in military attire, standing left between two standard, raising right hand and leaning to left on spear held in left hand
RIC IV Maximinus Thrax 4; RSC 56

Please post Maximimus Thrax coins or, my usual curiosity, coins you won from auctions at a price lower than your expectations.

 

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I'd love to own this coin, currently in British Museum though
An impaled decapitated Thrax with a bird picking his eyes and a worm borrowing out of his skull,
Someone must've really hated him!

 

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that, despite how easily obtainable they are, this is the only Maximinus I coin in my collection, but I do like the irony of the reverse inscription:

Bronze Sestertius
Rome mint, A.D. 236-238
Obv: MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM
Rev: PAX AVGVSTI - Pax, standing left, holding branch and traverse scepter between S and C
RIC 81
29mm, 15.9g.

 

Congratulations, @ambr0zie, that's a very nice portrait! I'm glad it was a good deal, too.

Here's my most photogenic Max Thrax:


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.

 

Nice chin! @ambr0zie...Have always found his coins good value for money...
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.

 

I have had two Maximinus coins in my "one per emperor" collection. The first one was removed from marketing holder that someone is producing for novice collectors. It consists of an NGC graded coin that is sealed in a larger holder with an information card. The card only said something about how the coin came from a hoard that was discovered in the vicinity of the Colosseum. I took the piece out of the larger holder so that I could examine it better.



Denarius of Maximinus I or Thrax, Obverse: IMP MAXIMINUS PIVS AVG, “Emperor Maximinus dutiful, patriotic, Augustus, Reverse: P M TR P II COS P P “Pontifex Maximus, (highest priest in the Roman religion) Tribunicia Potestate (Representative of the people in the Roman Government ), Consul (Chief Magistrate in the government, Pater Patriae (father of his county),” Sear 8312, Ric 3

I upgraded that piece with this one.



Denarius of Maximinus I or Thrax, Obverse: IMP MAXIMINUS PIVS AVG “Emperor Maximinus dutiful, patriotic, Augustus.” Reverse: PAX AVGVSTI “Dedicated to the peace provided by the emperor” Pax standing, holding a branch Sear 8310, Ric 312, RSC 31, 31a, Year 235

As for the size of Maximinus I, I would be surprised if he was any taller than 6 feet 6 inches. In an essay I called him "the Paul Bunyan of Roman emperors." He was undoubtedly very big and strong for his time. That was how he broke into the Roman upper class. Septimius Severus appointed him to be an imperial body guard because of his size. Once he came to power, many in the Roman Senate viewed him with fear and considered him to be a "Roman barbarian."

Maximinus became an important figure in the history of the year 238. I have written an article about that year, and might post here at a later date.

 

Ozie, Your sestertius has an excellent reverse making up for the rough obverse . I sold an early denarius of Maximinus Thrax at CNG 483. Even high-grade examples are not that expensive.



Pictured below is a sestertius of his son with that same chin . This one is a keeper .

Maximus as Caesar, AD 236-238. AE Sestertius: 26.39 gm, 31 mm, 12 h.

 

Nice one, @ambr0zie - that great portrait more than makes up for any weaknesses on the reverse, I think.

Of course you can't have just one Maximinus Thrax - you have to have all three portrait types! Coin Talk's @Valentinian has a great site for this here:

http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Maximinus/Maximinus.html


Here are two of the three portrait types ("big chin" and "late") - I do not have the Severus Alexander types ("early"):



Here's my nicest sestertius ("late" portrait):




My most recent is this "first for me" emperor - Maximinus Thrax's son, Maximus. This came in an unusual cardboard holder from the Roman Baths at Bath, England; taped in! I had to remove some residue. The condition is not great, but I am glad to have even a cruddy example from this child-co-emperor:


Maximus Æ As
(236-238 A.D.)
Rome Mint (3rd emission)
MAXIMVS CAES GERM, bare-headed, draped bust right / PRINCIP[I IVV]ENTVTIS
S C, Maximus standing left, holding baton and spear; two signa to right.
RIC IV Maximus 14b.
(8.10 grams / 23 mm)
eBay Jan. 2022 Lot @ $6.17
Provenance Note: Coin was taped to a cardboard holder with the printed heading: The Roman Baths of Bath, England / Genuine Roman Bronze Coin. Additional description of the actual coin was typed out on blue paper and glued to cardboard. c. 1940s-1960s (?) souvenir.

Here's the original holder - note the sophisticated cellophane tape "holder" :



Here's a close-up of genuine ancient tape residue, before cleaning:

 

colourfull duo:

 

Here's mine:

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 new pick-up @ambr0zie, that's a great portrait of the big guy.



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

 

I recently read the ancient historian Herodian's section on Maximinus, in the Loeb eidition, with lengthy notes from the translator, which gave me a completely different view of Maximinus. From originally thinking of him only from the Roman Senate's point of view, that is, an uncouth illiterate barbarian usurper, murderer of the gentle rightful emperor, who ran a repressive regime, I realized that more than likely he was forced to accept the throne, and further, that he was exactly the kind of emperor that was needed at the time. Yes, he made exactions in support of the war effort but he certainly appears as a courageous soldier and emperor, who led from the front, and whose exploits were communicated at length to the people and Senate of Rome. And yes money was needed, but it is not as if it was used for anything but a very necessary war effort.

The Senators didn't like him because he didn't tolerate dissent, and needed money to fund the war, was of low origins and had killed a well liked emperor. But, how much different was he - except for this birth - than Septimius Severus, who also murdered his way to the throne and went off on an unnecessary war in Parthia that may well have so weakened the Parthians that a far greater foe - Persia - was eventually put in its place?

In short, if Maximinus had lived and enjoyed a lengthy reign, the decades of wars that plagued Rome throughout the latter part of the third century may never have happened. While much of this is reading between the lines in Herodian's account, how about this - if Maximinus was such a poor emperor, why did he prosecute the war in Germany at all, would it have not been much easier for him to simply go to Rome and enjoy himself? Instead, we have a true worrier emperor, which, as noted, was exactly what was needed at the time. In other words, while the Senate whined about his low birth, and so called repressive regime (repression being not exactly a rare condition at the time under the Severans) Maximinus was out there fighting for Rome even at the risk of his own neck.

What can I say, I admire the guy - all this because of Herodian who is anything but sympathetic to Maximinus.

P.S. I have had some beautiful Maximinus sestertii in the past but these have all been sold in order to afford coins in my collecting interest. But

 

BUT on the other side, it has been written that Maximinus treated his men poorly which was the reason they killed him. A wise military leader does not treat his troops badly.

A similar situation existed during the American Civil War with the southern general, Braxton Bragg. He was a favorite of Jefferson Davis, but his reputation as an effective general was not good.

 

Maximinus I (AD 235-238)

AR Denarius (20.5mm, 2.97 g). Rome mint, 3rd emission. Late AD 236-237. MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / VICTORIA GERM, Victory standing left, holding wreath and palm frond; to left, German captive seated left, head turned back right. RIC IV 23.

Ex Trevor Hadley Collection.
Ex Classical Numismatic Group E-Auction 500 (22 September 2021), lot 821.
Ex Baldwin’s FPL (Summer 2009), no. AR082.

 

Nice pickup @ambr0zie and Maximus is even smiling on your example, which is quite unusual.
Great specimens in this thread too





Q

 

I think both of these show that acromegalic chin pretty well:

Maximinus I Thrax AR Denarius, 236-238 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.



Maximinus I Thrax, AE Sestertius, 236-238 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM / Rev. Salus seated left, holding patera with outstretched right hand and using it to feed a serpent rising from an altar; resting left arm on side of chair, SALVS AVGVSTI; S C in exergue. RIC IV 85, BMCRE 175-176, Cohen 92, Sear RCV III 8338 (ill.). 31 mm., 17.58 g., 12 h.

 

Amateur!

Nice coin! His coins are relative easy to come by indeed. And fairly prices. I got mine below as a left over from an auction. Nobody wanted it. Enters: me. I especially like the detailed reverse.

 

My first thought is how many of the people who are buying those 'mint state' toolies would bit against us on this one if it were to be sold. I fear some of the makers of such items might decide to run an edition of these so we each could have one. I do not like 'fake' coins but do collect them when they are old enough. I guess the same applies to tooled coins. History tells us that Max and son had their heads cut off and placed on poles. No mention is made of birds and worms but it is a nice touch. Obvious question: Who has the Maximus?

 

@DonnaML I remember your sestertius. Probably the best portrait of Maximinus Thrax on a bronze coin from what I have seen.

I knew, generally speaking, that his coins are not rare but usually when they come up in auctions my budget is already spent.
The auction I got my denarius from did not went very well in theory (as my main target was lost) but thinking at it better, it was very good, getting a cistophoric Tralleis tetradrachm, a Hadrianopolis Gordian III with ostrich reverse (fantastic coin) and 2 Faustina II very decent denarii. Plus a semi-impulse buy, a tetartemorion from Caria, uncertain mint, that looks excellent in hand.

This denarius was the last one, I wanted one more coin but maximum price I was willing to pay was 30 EUR. Two better denarii went before it, but ~100 EUR each. This one is inferior, but I think it is worth 28 EUR.
Probably the last emperor with accurate, artistic portraits.

 

That would be a matter of opinion but I would at least go through Postumus or all of the Gallic crew.

Such a handsome fellow!