Maximinus Thrax; denarius; silver; reign 235-238 CE; struck 235-238 CE

Maximinus Thrax; denarius; silver; reign 235-238 CE; struck 235-238 CE; weight 3.20 g; diameter 20 mm. Obverse: laureate, draped bust of Maximinus Thrax facing right; legend IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG. Reverse: Providentia standing left, holding cornucopia and wand pointed at a globe at her feet; legend PROVIDENTIA AVG. Strike: hammered, well-centered with complete legends and full devices. Toning: light grey with peripheral golden highlights. References: RIC IV 13; BMCRE 39; Cohen 85; RSC 85. The denarius was the principal silver coin of the early third-century Roman economy. Issues of Maximinus Thrax, the first emperor of non-senatorial origin to seize power through military acclamation, reflect his dependence on the army and need to legitimize a short reign marked by frontier warfare along the Rhine and Danube. The Providentia type alludes to the emperor’s claim of foresight and care for the state during a period of political instability that preceded the Crisis of the Third Century. Minted at Rome, these coins circulated widely across the empire, serving both as salary for soldiers and as a medium for disseminating the imperial image and propaganda.