Maximinus I Thrax Sestertius

Here's mine with a PAX reverse--pretty ironic considering the chaos of the times.
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.

 

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Very nice AE of the Thrax! AND, Welcome to the Ancients Forum!

 

Yes, welcome! I'm getting the feeling we need an introduction from @gsimonel (unless I missed it somewhere...)

 

Welcome to the forum, @gsimonel

 

Welcome, @gsimonel!

 

An introduction, huh? Where to start ?

Well, I've been collecting ancients around 20 years. I started with uncleaned ancients, buying lots of 10 coins for $10/lot, cleaning and learning to ID them as I went along. I was a grad student with 3 kids at the time, and I didn't have much disposable income, so I kept coins that I liked--maybe 1 or 2 per lot--and sold the others on eBay. I usually netted enough to buy some more uncleaned. Over time I was able to buy larger and larger lots of uncleaned with the profits: 15 coins, 20 coins, then 25, 100. At one point I had saved up enough money to buy a lot of 1,000. I found some real nice coins in that batch, like the Maximus sestertius that I posted above.

Of course, most of the coins I handled were 4th century bronzes. One day I found this coin in an uncleaned lot:

Rome mint, A.D. 318-319
RIC 147
Obv: CONST-ANTINVS AVG
Rev: ROMAE AE-TERNAE - Roma, seated right, holding shield inscribed X/V
RS in exergue; P in left field, R in right
19 x 18 mm, 3.5 g.

A somewhat rare bronze of Constantine the Great, probably at that time worth $20-30 in that condition. For a poor grad student, that was an amazing find. I was hooked, and stared collecting bronzes of Constantine. After 20 years of cleaning, trading and selling coins, I've assembled two nice collections, one of Constantine bronzes:
http://feltemp.com/Constantine_1.html
and one of Roman Emperors:
http://feltemp.com/Emperors/Emperors_Page1.html

Except for the Julius Caesar, which I bought with money from an inheritance, everything else was either found in a batch of uncleaned coins or bought with the profits made from cleaning, IDing and then selling uncleaned coins, in most cases on eBay with $.99 opening bids. (Since I had no idea what most of the coins were worth, I figured I'd let the market decide. I usually got what I felt was a reasonable price.)

Of course, the golden age of cleaning uncleaned ancients is long past, so today I tend to buy lots of cleaned coins from auctions. But everything started with that initial $10 investment in a batch of uncleaned coins.

 

Welcome!!!!

Love the introduction! I wonder if any of us didn't start with 'uncleaned lots' ?? I also found some cool examples decades ago but, alas, those days are indeed gone forever. Now it's one auction after another....

 

Welcome @gsimonel. I didn't start with uncleaned lots, but I played around with them for a short period a few years back. I found nothing of interest, but that could be because the lots were poor quality to begin with.

 

welcome gsimonel

 

Mikey Zee, the incredibly high profile on that denarius is almost beyond
3-dimensional!
It almost look as though the figure on the reverse was struck as full 3-D figure and then placed on the coin. Really impressive, and the photo as well really highlights the effect!

 

Welcome gsimonel. We hope you keep posting. You link to your extensive collection of Constantine. I especially like, among others, #23, #37, and #99.

 

Nice new coin RC.

 

Welcome gsimonel. I only have one of he's and has portrait wear, mainly bought for the city gate reverse as reasonably scarce. Maximinus, Thrace Anchialus, 27mm, 12 gm, AMNG 11 592.

 

Maximinus or how to "grow a chin"

I've always been amazed by the change in appearance of that guy within just a few years

My two examples, in silver and bronze


Maximinus, Denarius struck in Rome in 236 AD
IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, Laureate and draped bust of Maximinus right
PAX AVGVSTI, Pax standing left, holding an olive tree branch
3.33 gr
Ref : Cohen #31, RCV #8310



Maximinius, Sestertius Rome mint AD 235/236
IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, laureate and draped bust right
PROVIDENTIA AVG, Providentia standing left, holding cornucopia, globe at her feet
22.73 gr
Ref : Cohen # 80, RCV # 8337

Q

 

Mine does not have a clear portrait. It is a large (31mm) provincial of Koropissos in Cilicia. I bought it for the reverse, which shows Perseus rescuing Andromeda from the sea monster. The sea monster appears at his feet, and looks remarkably like a small fish. (Usually on coins of this city the sea monster looks like a wolf's head).

 

Is it standard to show Perseus carrying Medusa's head like Hercules did his lion? The small fish seems to have a head so the one in hand must be her. Heros, maidens and monsters all seem to be quite slender here. Interesting coin!

 

Just found my M Thrax pics

 

Perseus is almost always depicted on coins carrying the harpa and Medusa's head. (Occasionally on coins of Tarsos he is shown with only the harpa, but that is unusual.) He almost always holds the head low, as in the constellation. Holding the Medusa's head high is a Renaissance convention.