Maximinus II Daza follis -- Sol's head on a platter edition

A new acquisition:


Maximinus II Daza, AD 309-313, as Augustus
Roman Æ follis;21 mm, 4.88 g, 12 h
Antioch, AD 312
Obv: IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS P F AVG, laureate head, right
Rev: GENIO AVGVSTI, Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, holding head of Sol and cornucopiae; *|Z //ANT
Refs: RIC 164b; Cohen 21; RCV 14840

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A very interesting reverse.

Here is mine, a coin of Hadrian.Eternity holding the heads of Sol and Luna.


Hadrian, AR Denarius AD 135
(18.15 mm 3.39 g)
Obv: IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG
Laur. bust of Hadrian right with light drapery on far shoulder
Rev: AET AVG (in field) P M TR P COS DES III
Aeternitas standing left holding heads of Sol and Luna
Sear 3458 Ric 48

 

Whoah, for a moment there I thought I was looking at my own coin! Same issue and general appearance... right down to the little area of flatness on the torso of Genius.

 

You are making it hard for me to resist acquiring a Sol to go with my Serapis...

 

I have a couple.

Maximinus II Daia - Follis

Obv:– IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS P F AVG, Laureate head right
Rev:– GENIO AVGVSTI, Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys at waist, left hand holding cornucopiae and right hand holding head of Sol
Minted in Antioch (* | E/D / ANT). A.D. 312
Reference(s) – RIC VI Antioch 164b



Maximinus II Daia - Follis

Obv:– IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS P F AVG, Laureate head right
Rev:– GENIO AVGVSTI, Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys at waist, left hand holding cornucopiae and right hand holding head of Sol
Minted in Antioch (* | AI / ANT). A.D. 312
Reference – RIC VI Antioch 164b
Patchy silver making a pleasing photo difficult.

 

Nice addition

 

Love these.


MAXIMINUS II DAIAAE Follis
OBVERSE: IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS PF AVG, laureate head right
REVERSE: GENI-O-AVGVSTI, Genius standing left, modius on head, naked except for chlamys over left shoulder, holding head of Serapis and cornucopiae. X-A across fields; ALE in ex.
Struck at Alexandria 312 AD
4.83g, 21mm
RIC VI 149b Ex Spink


HADRIAN
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG, laureate head right, draped left shoulder
REVERSE: P M TR P COS III, Aeternitas standing front, head left, holding the heads of the sun and moon
Struck at Rome, 119-121AD
3.0g, 18mm
RIC 115, C 131

 

I LOVE this type as well...and because of so many posts/threads, I finally grabbed this one late last year.


Silvered Follis of Maximinus II Daia
Heraclea mint 313 AD; 22mm, 4.25 grams
IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINUS P F AVG
Laureate head right
SOLI IN-VICTO; Delta left, SMHT in exergue
Sol standing facing, head left holding bust of Serapis, and raising hand.
RIC 78

 

I have one of these too but it isn't too great.

Maximinus II Daia - Follis

Obv:– IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS P F AVG, Laureate head right
Rev:– SOLI IN-VICTO, Sol standing left in long robe, right hand raised, left hand holding head of Serapis
Minted in Antioch (A | * // ANT).
Reference(s) – RIC VI Antioch 167b

 

While googling "head john baptist coin" I came across this 1742 Tarì coin of the Knights Hospitaller, depicting the head of Saint John the Baptist on a silver round platter.



Now I have to get one!

 

I'd like to learn a little bit about the "holding the head of X" iconography. To my modern sensibility, it seems a little creepy, as if one is holding a severed head. But I wonder what relation this iconography has to the "parade of ancestors" tradition in which patrician Romans walked on solemn occasions carrying the busts of ancestors, as pictured. Are we to think that these figures on the coins are carrying similar sculpted busts of Serapis, etc. to suggest similar veneration or "family" connection? Certainly that's not an actual head...or is it?




Image source: http://slideplayer.com/slide/5294381/

 

That's VERY insightful!

 

Another interesting feature is the palm branch on the left at the patrician's feet. Note how there is a palm branch on the left at Genius' feet in @Severus Alexander 's coin, above.

 

I'm inclined to think that's just some control mark. But it is an interesting parallel to a feature of the sculpture I overlooked. In the sculpture it seems to provide some kind of structural balance, but the palm leaf in both cases may reflect some kind of honorific function, just as the palm became associated with victory in the writings of Paul and in early Christianity as the reward for martyrs and, later, pilgrims.

 

from an earlier post

 

Thanks for the explanation and the link Victor.

 

I have always been fascinated by this practice of reverence for Roman ancestry. I felt the same regarding coins featuring a head as rather reverance of a bust.

 

These are really interesting!

 

Some lovely coins in this post. Mine is not lovely at all, a rather green one from Alexandria:




Maximinus II Æ Follis
(311-313 A.D.)
Alexandria Mint
IMP C GAL VAL MAXIM
INVS P F AVG, head right
/ GENIO AVGVSTI, genius
holding Serapis, head, star
top left, N left, branch lower
left, Δ right, ALE in exergue.
RIC Alex. 160b; Sear 14843.

Wonder if Shakespeare dug one of these up in the ruins of old Londinium - from Wikipedia:




David Tennant used the skull of pianist André Tchaikowsky for Yorick's skull in a 2008 Royal Shakespeare Company production.

 

Nice!