Maximinus I Thrax, 235-238 AD, Rome.
Silver denarius (AR).
20 mm, 2.93 grams.
Very well preserved.

Maximinus I Thrax, whose full name was Gaius Julius Verus Maximinus, was Roman Emperor between 235 and 238 AD. He was born around 173 AD in the region of Thrace or Moesia, the son of a Goth peasant and his Alana wife, making him the first Roman emperor of "barbarian" origin. He is known for his great height (estimated at 2.61 meters), possibly due to gigantism, and for being the first emperor who never set foot in the city of Rome during his reign.

Maximinus came to power after the death of Emperor Alexander Severus, being proclaimed by the Roman troops. His reign was marked by a strictly militarized government, with severe purges against the Senate and the nobility, and several military campaigns to defend the Empire's borders. In 236 he named his son Maximinus as Caesar and successor.

His reign ended amidst several revolts, especially in the province of Africa, where new emperors were proclaimed, leading the Senate to declare him an enemy of Rome. He was eventually assassinated by his own soldiers in 238 AD. Maximinus is remembered as a harsh emperor, a ruthless soldier, and a key figure in the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century of the Roman Empire.