MAXIMINUS I. 235-238 AD. Æ Sestertius (18.78 gm). Struck 235-236 AD. IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / PROVIDENTIA AVG, S C across field, Providentia standing left, holding wand over globe, and cornucopiae. RIC IV 61; MIR 27, 11-5/A; BMCRE 17; Cohen 80. Choice VF, attractive red-brown patina.
This early issue of Maximinus I has a portrait clearly modified from that of his predecessor, Severus Alexander. Later portraits of Maximinus display an almost grotesque physiognomy, resembling Frankenstein's monster. This, coupled with primary sources' depictions of him as a hulking giant over 8 feet tall, has led some modern historians to conclude he suffered from excessive human growth hormone.
