I often buy coins for their historical connection. My wife prefers I buy high-grade good-looking coins. (She has better taste than I do.) She is happier when I buy what we call "crispy critters." Today one arrived. Maximinus II, Caesar 305-310 and Augustus 310-313. (Some say 309-313). 23-20 mm. 4.68 grams. IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS PF AVG, head right with laurel wreath. Maximinus II as Augustus. GENIO AVGVSTI Genius with patera, cornucopia and a modius. Є in field. SMN = SACRA MONETA NICOMEDIA Mint: Nicomedia (Izmit Turkey) RIC VI Nicomedia 71b "c. 312, earlier". Not only does the coin have little wear and lots of silvering, the dies were fresh so the details are in bold relief. It's a "crispy critter"! Maximinus II was Galerius's nephew and was appointed Caesar of the Eastern Empire in 305 AD upon the retirements of Diocletian and Maximian. When too there were too many claimants to western rule in 308, Galerius called the "Conference at Carnuntum" and appointed a new man, Licinius, to be western Augustus even though Maximinus had been eastern Caesar for 3 years already and Constantine was western Caesar already. Constantine and Maximinus felt they had seniority and should have become the new Augustus instead of Licinius. By the way, Licinius never made it to the west, but originally had territory in the middle. Galerius took ill and died in 311 at which time Maximinus II took his eastern territory while Licinius remained in the middle. Licinius defeated Maximinus II in 313 and inherited the east. The above coin was struck after Maximinus II took the territory of Galerius (which included Nicomedia) in 311 and before Licinius took it from Maximinus II in 313. In this issue Nicomedia also minted in the names of Constantine and Licinius. Here is the same issue in the name of Licinius. Licinus, 308-324. 21 mm. IMP C VAL LICIN LICINIVS PF AVG. as above, but with Δ in the right field. RIC VI Nicomedia 71a, "c. 312, earlier" The second coin does not qualify as a "crispy critter"--although it has little wear it has too much corrosion. Show us some coins of Maximinus or some crispy critters!
...very nice coins Warren...but i was kinda expectin' sum burnt ones (Galba68 had one that had been thru a fire on his thread today)
here are two of my sharper Maximinus II coins- Maximinus II A.D. 308 24mm 5.9gm GAL VAL MAXIMINVS NOB CAES; laureate head right. VIRTVS EXERCITVS; Mars advancing r. in military dress, r. holding transverse spear, l. shield and trophy over shoulder; P in left field, Δ over R in right field. In ex. ALE RIC VI Alexandria 77 Maximinus II A.D. 312 20x21mm 4.2g IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS P F AVG; laureate head right. SOLI INVICTO; Sol standing left in long robe, right hand raised, left hand holding head of Serapis; B in left and ✶ in right field. In ex. ANT RIC VI Antioch 167b
How about a crisp Crispus? This one was a Secret Saturnalia gift from 2018! Crispus, AD 316-326. Roman billon centenionalis, 3.07 g, 19.3 mm, 11 h. Alexandria, AD 325-26. Obv: FL IVL CRISPVS NOB CAES, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust, left. Rev: PROVIDEN-TIAE CAESS, two-turreted gateway of military camp, star above; SMALA in exergue. Refs: RIC vii, p. 709, 35; LRBC I 1403; Cohen 125; RCV 16813.
These are fairly crispy, although flawed. Both are ex Dattari. Maximinus II as Caesar, Antioch, RIC 110 Maximinus II as Augustus, Alexandria, "head-on-a-platter" type
It seems that there are a lot of coins of Maximinus II out there that are in really nice condition. They kept reducing the size and weight of these coins, so I image many of them were pulled from circulation and hoarded, giving us lots of beautiful examples today. I have shown the coin below several times before: Antioch mint, A.D. 312 Obv: IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS P F AVG Rev: GENIO AVGVSTI - Genius, modius on head, naked but for chlamys hanging from shoulder, holding head of Sol and cornucopiae ANT in exergue; ✳ in left field, S in right RIC 164b 22mm, 4.7g.
At least those of you who collect for 'crispness' know what it was that made the coin appeal to you. This Maximinus II AE2 came to me in 2014 but I have no recollection of how or why. I do not pay extra for the fine differences in grade. This one has no particular interest except it was cheap ($22). Perhaps I liked the face on Jupiter? On the other hand, this AE1 is less 'crisp' by this new grading standard introduced here but I know what I found interesting. Rome mint had an interesting way of cutting the eye and I liked the elongated flan. It was an AE1, had interesting style and appealingly odd flan by my standards. It also was a reverse not featuring Genius (always a bonus IMO). that made it an obvious buy in 2002 at $30 from Jonathan Kern. I miss seeing Jonathan at coins shows but retirement has taken its toll on many of my favorite dealers.
Very nice Warren. Great pick! I have the Genius of the People to complement your Genius of the Augusti RI Maximinus II as Caesar, AD 305-308 Æ Follis, 26mm, 6h; Trier mint, 1 May 305 - early 307. Obv.: GAL VAL MAXIMINVS NOB C; Laureate, cuirassed bust right. Rev.: GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI; Genius standing left, head towered, loins draped, right hand holding patera, left cornucopia; S - F // PTR Reference: RIC VI Treveri 667b (p. 208) From the Capitoline Collection, Rick Morton [EDITED]Boy did I BOO-BOO in the FIRST picture (removed)... I accidently posted my AVGVSTI version, and Warren was kind enough to privately help me mend the error of my ways! Thanks for the help, Warren.
This is pretty crispy to me: Galerius AE Follis 302 - 303 A.D., Antioch Mint, 7th Officina 10.03g, 29.0mm, 6H Obverse: GAL VAL MAXIMIANVS NOB CAES, Head of Galerius, laureate, right Reverse: GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI, Genius, wearing modius, nude, chlamys draped over left shoulder, standing left, pouring liquid from patera in right hand and holding cornucopiae in left hand Exergue: -/Z//ANT✱ Provenance: Ex. Dattari Collection, Ex. Jesus Vico Online Auction 5, Lot 214 Reference: RIC VI Antioch 57b
Warren, Your new Maximinus II follis is breathtaking. Very nice. Die state is often overlooked in discussions of ancient coin condition. In my opinion it is one of the most important criteria because even a little die wear removes the "crispness" from the design. it is unusual to see a coin with both sides struck from unworn dies. As much value as I put on this criteria, I have very few coins from virtually unworn dies on both sides. From my collection of folles of the tetrarchy here are two that come close Obverse: MAXIMIANVS P F AVG. Cuirassed Bust r. with laurel wreath. Reverse: Quies standing in a long robe, facing, head turned to the left, holding scepters in the right branch and branch in the left. Mint: Trier Weight: 5.85 gm. Reference: RIC 788 (Treveri) Provenance: HD Rauch, 29-FEB-2020, Ex Numismatik Lanz, Nov 20, 2000 Obverse: MAXIMIANVS NOB CAES, laureate head to right Reverse: SACRA MONETA AVGG ET CAESS NOSTR, Moneta standing to left, holding scales and cornucopiae; AQΓ in exergue Mint: Aquileia Weight: 10.36 g Reference: RIC 30b (Lugdunum) Provenance: Roma Numismatics ESale 81, lot 1518, 25-Feb-2021
Those look amazing! My Aquileia Maximian also has a rather good die state, but unfortunate encrustations took away from both sides.
I have only one Maximinus II. Pretty sharp on the obverse, but not so much on the reverse. Maximinus II (Daia) Caesar (nephew of Galerius) , AE Follis, 308-309 AD, Antioch Mint (2nd Officina).. Obv. Laureate head right, GAL VAL MAXIMINVS NOB CAES/ Rev. Genius standing left with chlamys over left shoulder and modius on head, holding cornucopiae in left arm and holding patera, from which libations flow, in extended right hand; crescent in upper left field and S [= 2nd Officina] in right field; GENIO CA-ESARIS*; in exergue, mintmark ANT [=Antioch]. RIC VI 103 (p. 631), Sear RCV IV 14725, Cohen 40-41. 25 mm., 6.90 g. Unless one counts this: Anonymous civic issue, reign of Maximinus II, AE quarter follis [?][Sear] or 1/12 nummus [?][McAlee], Antioch Mint (3rd Officina), ca. 311-312 AD. Obv. Tyche (city-goddess of Antioch) wearing mural crown, seated facing on rock, holding wheat or grain ears with right hand and, with left hand, holding a two-handled basket (filled with wheat or grain ears[?]) resting on ground to right, river god Orontes swimming below, GENIO ANTIOCHINI / Rev. Apollo standing left, pouring libation from patera held in right hand, and holding lyre in raised left hand, Γ [gamma, signifying 3rd Officina] in right field, APOLLONI SANCTO around; in exergue, SMA [meaning Sigmata Moneta Antioch (money struck at Antioch) or Sacra Moneta Antioch]. [Not in RIC; see http://www.notinric.lechstepniewski.info/6ant_civ_4v.html.] Sear RCV IV 14927 (ill); Vagi 2954; McAlee 170; Van Heesch Type 3 [Van Heesch, J. "The last civic coinages and the religious policy of Maximinus Daza (AD 312)" in Numismatic Chronicle (1993), pp. 63-75 & Pl. 11]; ERIC II, “Anonymous Religious Coinage of the Fourth Century,” pp. 1198-1199, No. 2. 16 mm., 1.35 g. [Struck either (1) to promote propaganda against Christians and aid in their persecution (and thus traditionally denominated the “Persecution issue”; or (2) as proposed by David Kalina, for use in festivals, including the Festival of Apollo at Daphne, held in conjunction with the Olympics in Antioch in 312 AD. See Kalina, David, “Anonymous Civic Coinage,” Series 1, at http://allcoinage.com/anonymous_civic.php.]
Since we're going far beyond Maximinus II, here are some more crispy critters (better than my Max- IIs): Constantius as Caesar, issued by Domitius Domitianus (ex Dattari): Galerius as Caesar (ex Dattari): Julian II maiorina: This is a phenomenal coin, @Fugio1! Not just the die state & grade, but wonderful style and a neat type too!
