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Magnus Maximus. AD 383-388. Æ (23.5mm, 4.31 g, 12h). Arelate (Arles) mint, 1st officina. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Magnus Maximus standing left, raising turreted kneeling female figure by the hand and holding Victory on globe left; PCON. RIC IX 26a.1; Ferrando 1669; LRBC 553; S 20650 (this coin illustrated). Dark green patina. EF.
From the Barry N. Rightman Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group XXXII (7 December 1994), lot 467.
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. Maximus was a zealous Christian who persecuted those whom he perceived 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 CNG Feature Auction 132 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 18-19 May 2026.
CNG Feature Auction 132 – Session Three – Lot 588-888 will be held Tuesday morning, 19 May 2026 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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