Modern Silver Pendant with bronze Maximinus II Follis coin (No reserve price)

ITEM: Modern pendant with Maximinus II Follis
MATERIAL: Silver plated and bronze
CULTURE: Roman
PERIOD: 4th Century A.D
DIMENSIONS: 24 mm diameter
CONDITION: Good condition. Original coin within a modern handmade circular silver setting.
PROVENANCE: Ex Belgian private collection, acquired in the 1990s

Comes with Certificate of Authenticity.

Gaius Valerius Galerius Maximinus, historical contextually known as Maximinus II or Maximinus Daia, ruled as part of the Roman Tetrarchy during a pivotal and turbulent transition in the early 4th century A.D. Born to a peasant family in Dacia, his swift rise through the military ranks was propelled by his maternal uncle, the Emperor Galerius. In 305 A.D., upon the abdication of Diocletian and Maximian, Maximinus was elevated to the rank of Caesar, governing the eastern provinces of Syria, Egypt, and parts of Asia Minor. Following Galerius’s death in 311 A.D., he was acclaimed Augustus by his troops, positioning himself as a major political and military power player alongside rival rulers Licinius and Constantine the Great.

As ruler of the eastern territories, Maximinus II was renowned for his staunch defense of traditional Roman paganism and his rigorous enforcement of anti-Christian policies. Unlike some of his co-emperors who began easing religious restrictions, Maximinus vigorously continued the Diocletianic Persecution within his administrative dioceses. He actively supported pagan priesthoods, organized local civic petitions against Christian communities, and encouraged public works that restored traditional temples and civic shrines. His firm stance earned him a controversial legacy among early Christian historians such as Eusebius and Lactantius, who depicted his reign as one of the final, fierce standoffs of the pagan Roman state against the rising tide of Christianity.

The internal power struggles of the Tetrarchy ultimately defined the tragic end of Maximinus’s rule. In 313 A.D., attempting to expand his dominion into Europe while Constantine was occupied in the West, Maximinus marched against Licinius in Thrace. His forces suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Tzirallum in April of that year. Forced to flee disguised as a slave across the Taurus Mountains to Tarsus, Maximinus fell gravely ill and died shortly thereafter, marking the final collapse of the eastern branch of the imperial system envisioned by Diocletian and opening the path toward Constantine's sole rule over the Roman Empire.