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Antoninianus - Maximianus VIRTVTI AVGG; Hercules
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 289-293 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Radiate, helmeted, and cuirassed bust of Emperor Maximianus facing right, the radiate crown surmounting a military helmet with elaborate crest, the emperor depicted in full imperial military dress with pteryges visible at the shoulder. The legend IMP C MAXIMIANVS P AVG runs clockwise around the circumference within a beaded border. The portrait conveys the martial authority characteristic of the Tetrarchic period, with bold, powerfully modelled facial features consistent with the artistic conventions of the late third century. |
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| Reverse description | Hercules standing to the right, engaged in the first of his Labours, strangling the Nemean Lion with his bare hands; a club rests behind him in the field. A winged Victory flies in from the right, extending a wreath to crown the hero in recognition of his triumph. The legend VIRTVTI AVGG — an appeal to the Virtue of the two Augusti — is inscribed in the field, referencing both Diocletian and Maximianus, whose divine patron was Hercules. A mint mark appears in the exergue identifying the Lugdunum workshop. |
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| Additional information |
Maximianus ruled as Augustus of the West under the Tetrarchic system Diocletian formalized in 293, but these coins predate that arrangement — they belong to the earlier dyarchy, when just two emperors shared power. The VIRTVTI AVGG legend specifically invokes the virtus of both Augusti, linking Maximianus to Diocletian in a deliberate propagandistic pairing rather than asserting sole authority.
RIC V.2 462 is attributed to the Ticinum mint, which was Maximianus's preferred operational base in northern Italy during his campaigns against Gallic usurpers in this period.