Hearty Roach & Honorius

Recently I picked up 2 coins from @Victor_Clark

I parted with a nice Gordy ant I have had for awhile to @Sallent & picked up a different Gordy ant.

It was in Victors stock for awhile & I had eyed it for a long time.

It's pretty overweight, 6.2g. We've seen 5gs and even a 7g, but over 6g is pretty scarce. This roach definitely enjoyed extra time in the silver buffet section.

Finally decided to get it.

The other coin is just a nice AE2 of Honorius, a common type but I had needed him as a whole for my collection. Price was right.


Gordian III (238 - 244 A.D.)
AR Antoninianus
O: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG; radiate draped bust right.
R: SECVRIT PERP; Securitas standing left with scepter, leaning on column.
Rome Mint
25mm
6.2g
RIC IV Rome 151



Honorius (392 - 395 A.D.)
Æ2
O: DN HONORIVS P F AVG; pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right.
R: GLORIA ROMANORVM; Emperor standing, facing head right, holding standard and globe. ANTΓ in ex.
Antioch Mint
22mm
5.8g
RIC IX Antioch 68e

 

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Very cool @Mat - congrats on the heavy ant and the honorius!

 

Thanks!

 

That is one chunky roach! The Honorius has a very pleasing look too.

 

Here is the pretty roach I bought from @Mat so he could buy that chunky roach.

I love your new roach, Mat. And Honorius is nice too.

 

Nice pickups, @Mat! The Gordian you sold to @Sallent was pretty nice too. What prompted the change of G?

The Honorius is all you can ask for in a late Roman bronze. Big, heavy, clearly detailed devices and legends and an easily readable mintmark. Nice way to fill a hole.

 

WELL DONE @Mat ! That is a HEFTY Ant... cool!

I only have an AE of GIII


RI Gordian III 238-244 CE AE As 25mm Hercules S-C

And a pretty ruddy Honorius:


RI Honorius 393-343 AE3 15mm Arcadius and Honorius Stdg

 

I love me some AE2!

I've posted my Gordian coins quite a bit, so here is my NOT AE2 Honorius. I dig the family group pic on the reverse however.



Honorius, AE4, 406-408 AD

ON HONORI-VS PF AVG R:GLORI-A ROMA-NORVM; Honorius, Arcadius, and Thoedosus II ANT (A or Delta) in ex. Antioch mint 15 mm, 1.7g RIC X 153

 

The Gordian has an elegant reverse and the Honorius a lovely patina. Really nice pick-ups Mat!

 

Both are nice additions Mat. I really like the patina on the Honorius

 

Took the words right out of my mouth. Both are types I'd love to own!

 

Here's my facing bust Honorius:





Uncleaned hoard, sorry!

 

I'm lazy so I'll just ask...why roach?

 

From what I'm to understand, Gordian coins are like the Morgans of ancient coins. They are common, like cockaroaches I guess. I think they are awesome.

 

I would have thought that would have been the Constantines.

 

Ok, I'll bear some of the blame for helping to popularize the term, even if I didn't come up with it. Constantinian bronzes are more common, but this all started when antoniniani of Gordian III were described by a member here as the "Cockroaches of the silver romans". They are, of course, still rather awesome, and I believe that most of us who use the term do so affectionately. And now I feel obliged to post one ...

 

And the antoniniani with the VIRTVTI AVGVSTI/Farnese Hercules reverse are the roaches of roaches. Here's mine!