Maximinus Thrax Bronze Sestertius RIC IV Maximinus Thrax 58

Monetary and Fiscal Context

The emission of RIC IV Maximinus Thrax 58 occurred during a critical juncture in early third-century Roman fiscal history. Following the assassination of Severus Alexander in early AD 235, Maximinus Thrax inherited an empire facing pressing strategic threats along northern frontiers, demanding immediate financial loyalty from the legions. To consolidate his power, Maximinus ordered substantial distributions of donatives and doubled regular legionary pay. While the silver denarius was rapidly being eclipsed by debased silver antoniniani in high-level state expenditures, the base-metal sestertius remained an essential monetary pillar for urban markets and regional commercial integration across Italy and the western provinces. Valued at four silver sestertii to one denarius in traditional accounting, bronze and orichalcum coinages served as token currency with a tariffed value significantly exceeding their intrinsic metal worth. This discrepancy provided the imperial fiscus with useful profit margins during reminting. As the premier large module bronze denomination, the sestertius possessed substantial surface area, rendering it ideal for visual messaging directed toward the domestic population in Rome and urbanized civilian hubs. RIC IV Maximinus Thrax 58 illustrates how the Senate, acting formally through its traditional authority denoted by S C, collaborated with the imperial treasury to validate the newly elevated soldier-emperor through the continuation of stable base-metal denominations.

Mint Organization and Production

All specimens categorized under RIC IV Maximinus Thrax 58 were produced exclusively at the imperial mint of Rome. Operating across several organized officinae, the mint coordinated the simultaneous output of precious-metal and base-metal denominations to fulfill imperial orders. Metallurgically, sestertii of the Severan and early soldier-emperor periods were cast from orichalcum, a copper-zinc brass alloy, though chemical analyses demonstrate significant variation in zinc content during this era, often including minor proportions of lead and tin due to the recycling of older bronze scrap. Blanks were cast in individualized clay molds, producing characteristic beveled flan edges before being brought to the coining anvil. Engravers prepared paired dies using hardened steel or bronze punches, working manually to execute obverse portrait dies alongside matching reverse personifications. In accordance with regular Roman mint conventions of the third century, the alignment of the dies was generally oriented to twelve o'clock or six o'clock, with standard working deviations. The average mass of sestertii during the initial emissions of Maximinus hovered near twenty to twenty-two grams, although wide weight distributions across surviving specimens indicate that blanks were adjusted al marco rather than tailored to exact individual weights al pezzo.

Obverse Design and Portraiture

The obverse of RIC IV Maximinus Thrax 58 features a right-facing bust of the emperor, laureate, draped, and cuirassed. This specific coin type captures the crucial stylistic evolution of Maximinus's numismatic portraiture at the start of his reign. Because the emperor never visited Rome after his elevation on the Rhine, die-cutters at the capital had to rely upon preliminary official sketches, written dispatches, or preexisting artistic conventions to formulate his image. In the earliest emissions of AD 235, the portraiture often exhibited softened facial contours closely reminiscent of Severus Alexander, reflecting an institutional inertia within the mint workshops. Very rapidly, however, engravers developed a distinct, vigorous aesthetic that characterized Maximinus in ancient literary accounts. The bust featured on this type demonstrates this emerging realistic style: a prominent, elongated jaw, an aquiline nose, a heavy muscular neck, and a deeply creased brow, all conveying sheer physical mass and stern authority. Maximinus wears the laurel wreath tied at the nape with dangling ribbons, superimposed upon military attire consisting of a paludamentum draped over a breastplate. This composition emphasized his legitimacy as an experienced frontier commander crowned by the gods.

Reverse Iconography

The reverse design of this sestertius presents Pax, the divine personification of peace, standing facing left. Draped in a long chiton that falls in graceful vertical folds, she holds out an olive branch in her extended right hand while cradling a transverse sceptre in her left arm. In the lower field, flanking the personification, are the large letters S and C, representing the traditional formula Senatus Consulto. The iconography of Pax Augusti on this early issue reflects classic imperial visual tradition repurposed for an unexpected transition of power. Presenting the military ruler as the bringer of civil peace was a central tenet of Roman political legitimation. Although Maximinus was elevated by rebellious troops following mutiny against the previous emperor, his initial public coinage proclaimed that his accession brought stability, harmony, and security to the Roman world. The olive branch symbolized the peaceful reconciliation of the state under a unified military command, while the transverse sceptre served as an attribute of divine sovereignty and majestic rule. By maintaining these peaceful attributes, the mint affirmed that warfare on the northern frontiers was intended to guarantee tranquility across the civilian provinces.

Inscriptions and Epigraphy

The epigraphic program of RIC IV Maximinus Thrax 58 utilizes concise abbreviations characteristic of the third-century imperial administration. The obverse perimeter bears the unbroken legend IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, reading continuously from the lower left around the bust. This legend sets forth the emperor's primary titles: Imperator (military commander), followed by his gentilicium Maximinus, the honorific epithet Pius (pious or dutiful), and Augustus (venerable emperor). Notably, this early inscription lacks the specific numbering of the tribunician power, consulships, or the honorific title Pater Patriae, all of which appeared in successive iterations of his coinage. The reverse displays the legend PAX AVGVSTI, translating directly as the Peace of the Augustus. Flanking the personification, the letters S C signify Senatus Consulto, recording that the bronze issue was struck by decree of the Roman Senate, which formally held oversight of aes production. The lettering on these dies exhibits the sturdy, seriffed capital script standard at the Rome mint, though subtle variations in letter spacing, character width, and punctuation occur across distinct working dies.

Typology and Chronological Classification

RIC IV Maximinus Thrax 58 is classified as part of the first emission of Maximinus Thrax, struck between early spring AD 235 and early AD 236. Modern numismatic scholarship divides the coinage of Maximinus into several chronological phases based on the evolution of his imperial titles and portrait styles. The initial phase is clearly demarcated by the short obverse legend IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, which was employed before the emperor was formally awarded the victory title Germanicus Maximus in early AD 236 following his campaigns across the Rhine. The Pax Augusti reverse was struck alongside concurrent issues honoring Salus Augusti, Fides Militum, and Providencia Augusti, forming a cohesive initial thematic program. Later in AD 236, sestertii with Pax Augusti were struck under altered legends, such as MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM (catalogued as RIC IV 81), marking a transition to the second major chronological group. Consequently, RIC 58 remains firmly restricted to the opening months of his rule, providing numismatists with an accurate chronological benchmark for tracing portrait alterations and mint output during the transition from the Severan dynasty to the period of the soldier-emperors.

Circulation and Archaeological Finds

As a high-value base-metal coin, the sestertius of RIC IV Maximinus Thrax 58 enjoyed an extensive circulation lifespan across the Western Roman Empire. Archaeological excavation data and coin hoard analyses indicate that sestertii struck in the early third century regularly circulated alongside earlier Severan, Antonine, and Flavian aes for several decades. Find spots documented in Italy, Gaul, the Rhineland, and Britain reveal that sestertii served as the workhorse denomination for significant daily commercial transactions, urban market provisioning, and localized tax settlements. Because bronze coins were tariffed well above their intrinsic metal value, they suffered less from the immediate melting and hoarding that plagued higher-purity silver denarii during third-century inflationary spikes. Many surviving specimens of this type demonstrate heavy edge wear, surface abrasion, and patination patterns consistent with continuous commercial exchange running through the mid-to-late third century, occasionally remaining in circulation until the monetary reorganizations of Aurelian and Diocletian.

References

1. I Grandi Bronzi Imperiali: Maximinus I - Maximus. Vol. IV.1
2. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. VI: Severus Alexander to Balbinus and Pupienus. Maximinus I, Rome mint
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Maximinus Thrax 58. Type ric.4.max_i.58
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. p. 141, no. 58