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Magnus Maximus. AD 383-388. AV Solidus (21mm, 4.46 g, 6h). Treveri (Trier) mint. Struck AD 383-384. D N MAG MA XIMVS P F AVG, rosette-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / RESTITVTOR REI PVBLICAE, Maximus, diademed and in military attire, standing facing, head right, holding labarum in right hand and in left, Victory standing left on globe holding wreath and palm frond; *|–//SMTR. RIC IX 76.2; Depeyrot 50/1 corr. (position of star); Biaggi 2309. A few faint marks and hairlines, otherwise lustrous and attractive. EF. Rare.
A capable general of Spanish birth, Flavius Magnus Clemens Maximus was appointed military commander of Britain in AD 380. Three years later, Maximus made a bid for the throne of the Western Roman Empire, then ruled by the young Gratian and his brother Valentinian II. After disposing of Gratian, Maximus proposed a three-way division of the Empire, with himself ruling Britain, Gaul, Germany and Spain, Valentinian II ruling Italy and Africa, and Theodosius I, another Spaniard, holding the East. During this period of relative calm, Maximus struck this gold solidus at the mint of Trier, with a reverse hailing him as the “Restorer of the Republic.” He was a zealous Christian who persecuted those whom he percieved as heretics, including the Spanish ascetic Priscillian and his followers; however, he showed respect for the Jewish faith. The uneasy equilibrium lasted about three years but, in AD 387, Maximus launched an invasion of Italy, provoking a final showdown with Theodosius. In a lightning campaign, Theodosius struck westward and defeated Maximus before he could fully marshal his forces. Both Maximus and his son Victor were summarily executed by Theodosius, who restored Valentinian II to the Western throne. Maximus’ grab for power proved ill-advised, igniting a destructive civil war and fatally weakening the Western Empire, particularly in Britain and northern Gaul. It is claimed, however, that a descendent of his ended up marrying Vortigern, king of the Britons, and is it through this union that several Welsh kings claimed Maximus as an ancestor.
The final winners of all Triton XXVI lots will be determined at the live public sale that will be held on 10-11 January 2023.
Triton XXVI – Session Three – Lots 674-990 will be held Wednesday morning, 11 January 2023 beginning at 9:00 AM ET.
Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.
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