6-157

RIC VI, NICOMEDIA [before 63], MAXIMINUS, UNLISTED OBVERSE LEGEND AND REVERSE LEGEND VARIETY

  

OBVERSE

MAXIMINVS-AVGVSTVS [MAXIMINVS AVGVSTVS]; head r., laur.

REVERSE

IOVICONS-ERVATORINK [IOVI CONSERVATORI NK]; Jupiter stg. facing, head l., chlamys hanging behind, r. holding thunderbolt, l. leaning on sceptre. SMN in exergue.

NOT IN RIC

UNLISTED OBVERSE LEGEND AND REVERSE LEGEND VARIETY. Specimen similar to NICOMEDIA 63 (BM 1844,1015.306, 5.29 g) except for obv. legend MAXIMINVS AVGVSTVS instead of MAXIMINVS P F AVG and reverse legend ended with ligature NK (p. 563).

The obverse legend MAXIMINVS AVGVSTVS is very rare and attested only on THESSALONICA 44b (Berlin no. 18230416, 5.21 g, 20 mm). Ligature NK can be found on earlier gold coinage from Nicomedia (cf. NICOMEDIA 32-38 and NICOMEDIA 41-47).

Note, however, that Maximinus' portrait is here very similar to those of Galerius Maximian so it is possible that this type is in fact NICOMEDIA 33 (Leu, web auction 17, lot 2935, 5.22 g, 20 mm) with an engraver's error in obv. legend: MAXIMINVS instead of MAXIMIANVS. On the other hand, this similarity could be intentional and two attested specimens are from different obv. dies which makes such mistake (quite dangerous for engraver) less probable.

Not listed in Depeyrot. Coin should be listed before NICOMEDIA 63.

NOTES

Aureus. Weight 5.26 g. Coin sold on Rauch auction 105 (lot 535) in November 2017 for EUR 9,000.

Other specimens:

- from Ira & Larry Goldberg auction 36 (lot 3593); weight 5.13 g [click for picture].


NOT IN RIC © 2004 Lech Stępniewski