Time of Maximinus II Daia. AE 1/4 Follis Persecution Series. Antioch AD 310-313

Time of Maximinus II Daia. AE 1/4 Follis (14MM 1.49G) Persecution Series. Antioch AD 310-313

Obv: GENIO AN-TIOCHENI, Tyche of Antioch, turreted, wearing cloak and veil, seated facing on rock; at her feet, river god Orontes swimming right

Rev: APOLLONI SANCTO, Apollo standing left holding patera and lyre

Vagi 2954
ex. Holding History

This little coin is an incredible historical artifact. It is a tiny bronze coin (specifically a 1/4 Follis) minted in the ancient city of Antioch (modern-day Turkey) between 310 and 313 AD.

Numismatists call this part of the "Persecution Series" (or Civic Series), and it tells a dark but fascinating story about the clash between traditional Roman religion and the rise of Christianity.

The Flip Side: Decoding the Imagery

Unlike most Roman coins, this one does not feature the face of an emperor. Instead, it features local gods to whip up civic pride and devotion to the old pantheon.

• The Front (Obverse):
  • What it says: GENIO ANTIOCHENI ("To the Genius/Spirit of Antioch")
  • What it shows: Tyche, the goddess of good fortune and protector of Antioch, wearing a crown shaped like city walls (turreted). She is sitting on a rock. Below her feet, a tiny figure is swimming. That is the river god Orontes, representing the main river running through the city.
• The Back (Reverse):
  • What it says: APOLLONI SANCTO ("To Holy Apollo")
  • What it shows: The god Apollo standing, holding a small sacrificial bowl (patera) and his musical instrument, the lyre.

The Historical Backstory: A Final Stand

To understand why this coin exists, you have to travel back to the early 4th century. Emperor Maximinus II Daia ruled the eastern part of the Roman Empire, and he fiercely hated Christianity.

While Constantine the Great was starting to embrace Christianity in the West, Maximinus Daia decided to double down on the old pagan gods in the East. He launched a targeted, intense propaganda campaign.

Instead of forcing people to worship him, Maximinus worked with local city governments (like Antioch) to strike these special, small coins. They. perhaps, served a dual purpose:

1. Pagan Propaganda: Giving people loose change that literally read "To Holy Apollo" was a brilliant way to flood the local markets with anti-Christian, pro-pagan propaganda. It reminded everyone that the gods protected Antioch, and that citizens needed to stay loyal to them.
2. A Tax Tracker: Some historians think these tiny coins were given out as receipts or tokens after citizens performed a mandatory pagan sacrifice. If you didn't have one, it might mean you were a secret Christian refusing to honor the gods—a crime that carried severe punishments at the time.

 The End of an Era

This coin marks the absolute twilight of pagan Rome's dominance. Just a few years later, Maximinus Daia lost a civil war and died in 313 AD. Constantine took full control, legalized Christianity across the empire, and these "Persecution" coins disappeared from circulation forever.

It is a pocket-sized reminder of a massive cultural turning point in world history.