Obverse: IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG; Laureate and
Draped Bust of the Emperor Facing Right
Reverse: SALVS AVGVSTI; Salus, Enthroned to the
Left, Feeding a Snake from a Patera
It was rumored that Maximinus could drink sixty
pints of wine and eat forty pounds of meat a day.
The popular barbarian soldier was also reputed
to be over eight feet tall and to have worn his
wife's bracelet as a ring. The stories of his
physical feats were even more astounding. He
was an excellent warrior but a terrible statesman.
He led his armies against the Germans but
fought as a foot soldier, slaying enemy soldiers
easily due to his immense size and strength. He
ran the government in much the same way, often
exiling or murdering senators who dared to
oppose him. Maximinus' harsh policies angered
the people of the empire and in the provinces.
In A.D. 238, the citizens of North Africa rebelled
against Maximinus' procurator, the financial
officer in charge of taxes. They proclaimed an
eighty-seven year old man by the name of
Gordianus emperor and his son was made co-
emperor with him. When news of the rebellion
reached Maximinus, he decided to march on
Rome. Already unpopular with the people, this
move caused him to be disdained. While laying
siege to the city of Aquileia, whose citizens
stoutly resisted, Maximinus’ German troops
became demoralized and decided to do away
with him.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or purse? What eras and lands have the
coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who might have touched the coin before us, or
where the coin will venture to after it leaves our
hands. More than money, coins are a symbol of
the state that struck them, of a specific time and
location, whether contemporary currencies or
artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This
stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise
of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail
that is often lacking in contemporary machine-
made currencies. This ancient coin is a memorial
an emperor, passed from the hands of
civilization to civilization, from generation to
generation that still appears as vibrant today as
the day it was struck.
- (C.5279)
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