Just received MAXIMINUS I Thrax (late portrait) Denarius. (Ar. 2.56g/22mm). 235-236 AD Rome. RIC 14, RSC 85a, BMC 99, Sear5 #8316, Cohen 85 IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / SALVS AVGVSTI, Salus seated left, feeding from patera a serpent arising from altar. Good Very Fine/ Almost Very Fine
Cool type, Salus feeding a snake coming out of a basket! I've got the Sestertius version (one with hyper-color patina!) Though a much less interesting patina, I think the next one is my favorite Maximinus. It's part of my "two captives and trophy" collection, a design that appeared on Roman coins for over 350 years, from Julius Caesar into the Constantinian Dynasty: RPC VI (Temp) 10711, example 25 = Coin Project ID 79000742 = this coin. My favorite Salus coin, though, might be the Provincial Severus Alexander below. As I understand it, she's the Roman equivalent of the Greek deity of health, Hygeia, who is shown below with Asklepios, Greek god of medicine. Unfortunately, after 2 or 3 years, I still haven't broken it out of its NGC shell, so I don't have a great photo. It actually looks pretty fantastic for one of these. Ex Morris / Phil Peck Collection -- I'd love to know where he got it (apparently Heritage threw away his collector envelopes for the ones they got encapsulated, which is tragic). Of course, once onto the theme of medical and health-related imagery on Greek and Roman coins, it's possible to sprawl out in all directions... One more set of favorites... A bunch of coins from "The Maleatas Collection of Epidauros" (mostly acq. by that collector from BCD). Epidauros was home of the most famous Asklepeion in Greece -- temple of the healing god Asklepios, whose head appears on 5 of the obverses below (coin 4 is Apollo, whose sanctuary at Epidauros is a few miles east of the Asklepeion): Askepios' companion animals were snakes and dogs (the latter appear on the two reverses on the right; I don't yet have an Epidaurian snake). Apparently dogs were considered healing animals in a literal sense too, and were employed as wound-lickers. According to Pausanias, the temple kept dogs on site (in Book 2, Ch. 27, if I'm keeping my references straight).
My Max Thrax denarius was one of my first ancient coins: Maximinus, 235 - 238 AD Silver Denarius, Rome Mint, 20mm, 3.30 grams Obverse: IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Maximinus right. Reverse: VICTORIA AVG, Victory advancing right holding wreath and palm. RIC16
I have a really nice Caius Julius Verus Maximinus I Thrax AE Sestertius. RIC IV.2 #81. Had to grab this great big German here in Germany. PAX AVGVSTI. Need to find a nice Denarius like your Expat!
It's always interesting to compare profiles of ruler portraits. The noses often vary. But what I find more interesting than Thrax's nose is his chin. Some chins are quasi-caricaturizations. Existent marble busts attributed to him also vary in regard to his chin. But it would seem safe to surmise that Thrax's chin was in some way pronounced. I really like the example posted above by @GinoLR When I purchased my representative coin for this ruler, I sought out one with a slightly protruding chin. Here is my example: MAXIMINUS I THRAX 235-6 AD. AR denarius, Providentia. Mint: Rome Obv: IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, laureate bust right, draped & cuirassed. (Nice example of his protruding chin portrait.) Rev: PROVIDENTIA AVG, Providentia standing facing, head left, wand with right arm over globe at foot below, holding cornucopiae in left arm. Diam.: 19 mm. Weight: 2.43 gr. Attrib.: RSC 77a. RIC IV-2 13. BMC 86. Cohen 275.
I have a web site on the portraits on coins of Maximinus Thrax: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Maximinus/Maximinus.html My most recent addition is a large provincial coin: Maximinus 37-36 mm. 22.8 grams. Struck at Tarsos, Cilicia Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right Π behind and Π below chin AVT•K•Γ•IOV•OVH•MAΞIMEINOC A4-column temple with eagle in pediment Apollo Pythios standing front, AMQ to left Possibly TAPCOV•TH[C MHTPOΠOΛЄωC] around. SNG Levante 1100. SNG France 2, 1601. RPC on-line VI 7105 temporary.
