Maximinus Thrax Copper-Alloy Dupondius

Monetary Context and Denominational Role

During the reign of Maximinus I (AD 235 to 238), the imperial bronze denomination system established under Augustus remained nominally intact, though under growing fiscal pressure. The dupondius functioned as the double as, valued at half of the primary large brass sestertius and one-eighth of a silver denarius. Traditionally struck in orichalcum (a golden-toned copper-zinc alloy), the dupondius retained its distinctive radiate crown to avoid confusion with the laureate as, which was struck on smaller or redder copper flans. By the AD 230s, the dupondius was struck in noticeably smaller quantities than the sestertius, as the Roman treasury prioritized the heavy sestertius for large cash disbursements and public payments. Maximinus, elevated by his soldiers on the Rhine frontier, required immense fiscal resources to finance continuous campaigns in Germany and along the Danube, yet base-metal fractional denominations remained necessary for regional markets and small-scale commerce.

Production Standards and Mint Organization

The primary center of production for the copper-alloy dupondius of Maximinus was the imperial mint at Rome. While earlier scholarship occasionally posited secondary mint facilities in the East, such as Antioch, modern numismatic consensus associates the overwhelming majority of imperial dupondii with the officinae of Rome. Flans were cast in orichalcum molds before being struck with hardened iron dies. The average weight of the dupondius during this period hovered between 10 and 13 grams, with flan diameters typically spanning 24 to 27 millimeters, though weight variation across surviving specimens is considerable due to loose minting tolerances and post-striking adjustments. As with other senatorial bronze denominations, the reverse fields consistently bear the abbreviation S C (Senatus Consulto), reflecting the enduring, if increasingly formal, constitutional authority of the Senate over base-metal currency.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Portraiture

The obverse of the dupondius is characterized by the bust of Maximinus facing right, wearing a radiate crown that serves as the explicit denominational signifier of the dupondius. The emperor is typically depicted with a draped and cuirassed bust, occasionally cuirassed alone. Stylistically, the portraits exhibit a rapid evolution during his three-year reign. Early issues reflect a somewhat idealized Severan continuation, but the portrait quickly transitions into a severe, rugged physiognomy emphasizing a heavy jaw, prominent brow, and powerful neck. This veristic style accentuated Maximinus's military background, imposing physical stature, and veteran authority, visually distancing him from the youthful, urban court image of his predecessor, Severus Alexander.

Reverse Designs and Ideological Programs

Reverse types on the dupondii of Maximinus align closely with those seen on contemporary sestertii and denarii, focusing on traditional imperial virtues and battlefield success. Frequent motifs include Fides Militum holding military standards, reflecting the emperor's vital reliance on army loyalty; Pax Augusti standing with an olive branch and transverse scepter, promising stability through military triumph; Salus Augusti seated feeding a serpent rising from an altar, praying for the emperor's health; and Providentia Augusti holding a baton and cornucopiae, with a globe at her feet. Military reverses are prominent, featuring Victoria Germanica accompanied by seated captives, which celebrated the successful trans-Rhine expeditions of AD 235 and 236. Each reverse type is typically framed by the prominent senatorial mark S C across the lower or central field.

Epigraphy and Titulature

The obverse legends on the dupondius carefully record the evolving titulature of Maximinus. The earliest series of AD 235 commonly reads IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG (Imperator Maximinus Pius Augustus). Following his military successes against the Germanic tribes and the formal assumption of victory titles, the legend regularly changes to MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM, integrating Germanicus into his primary imperial style from AD 236 onward. Reverse inscriptions emphasize virtues and divine blessings through formulas such as FIDES MILITVM, PAX AVGVSTI, PROVIDENTIA AVG, and SALVS AVGVSTI. Datable reverses incorporate his tribunician and consular titles, such as P M TR P II COS P P or P M TR P III COS P P, alongside VICTORIA GERMANICA. The invariable presence of S C on reverse fields underlines the traditional senatorial authorization of the brass coinage.

Typology and Chronological Evolution

The chronological sequence of Maximinus's dupondii is divided into clear phases based on portrait style, imperial titles, and associated issues of his son Maximus Caesar. Phase 1 (AD 235) is distinguished by early, softer portraits and the simple legend IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, with standard initial types such as Fides, Salus, and Pax. Phase 2 (AD 236 to 237) introduces the title GERM following official victories across the Rhine and Danube, introducing Victoria Germanica types and updated tribunician designations. During this period, companion dupondii were struck for his young son Maximus as Caesar, featuring bare-headed or draped busts with reverses celebrating the prince's youth and piety (such as PIETAS AVG with sacrificial implements and PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS). Phase 3 (AD 237 to 238) spans the buildup to the civil war against the Gordians and the Senate, maintaining established military types until the assassination of Maximinus outside Aquileia in mid-AD 238.

Circulation Patterns and Hoard Contexts

Copper-alloy dupondii of Maximinus circulated primarily within the western and Danubian provinces, moving alongside legionary deployments. Because dupondii carried a lower face value than sestertii while remaining relatively heavy, they circulated extensively in everyday market transactions. Archaeological evidence from site finds and bronze coin hoards demonstrates that base-metal coins of Maximinus experienced heavy, prolonged wear, often remaining in circulation for decades alongside older Severan and Antonine bronzes. By the mid-third century AD, rampant inflation and the rapid debasement of silver coinage severely eroded the purchasing power of fractional aes denominations, eventually leading to the decline and near-complete abandonment of the dupondius as an active denominational tool under subsequent regimes.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume VI: Severus Alexander to Balbinus and Pupienus. pp. 88-105, 222-243
2. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. pp. 138-152
3. Roman Coins and Their Values, Volume II: The Accession of Nerva to the Death of Caracalla (and Third Century Issues). pp. 642-648