I usually find coins from the early-mid 200s quite ho-hum, and until today, it must be 10 years since I bought a coin from the period. I even bought two! Gordian III, as Augustus, AR Antoninianus. 238-239 AD. Obverse: IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Reverse: ROMAE AETERNAE, Roma seated left, holding Victory and sceptre, shield at side. Reference: RIC 5, RSC 357, RCV 8664 Size: 22 mm. Weight: 4,83 g g Conservation: VF Gordian III, as Augustus, AR Antoninianus. Rome 240 AD. Obverse: IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Reverse: ROMAE AETERNAE, Roma seated left, holding Victory and sceptre, shield at side. Reference: RIC 70, RSC 314, RCV 8658 Size: 23 mm. Weight: 3,92 g Conservation: aEF What I found interesting about these two, are the portraits. The portrait from the first coin, from 238/9 AD does not look a lot like a 12-13 year old, which Gordian was at the time. The portrait from 240 looks a lot more like a juvenile. We see quite a lot of this from the Roman mints early in the reign of an emperor. Claudius was pictured with quite a likeness of Caligula on the early issues. Maximinus I had early portraits looking more like Severus Alexander with a chin job. Here Gordian III looks more like his predecessors; one can imagine both Gordian I, II and Balbinus here. Perhaps I'll let coin number one fill the empty Gordian II space in my collection while I wait for that good old lotto ticket to fund the father and brother. Please post early portraits that do not look like later portraits.
Could it be that the obverse die was one from Gordian I or II? He really looks much older than 12-13 years. On my Antoninianus he certainly looks 12-13 years old: Rome, 2nd emission, 239 AD 21 mm, 4.411 g RIC IV Gordian III 19; RSC 199; Sear 8635; and with Romae Eternae: Rome, 240 (?) AD 21 x 23.5 mm; 4.834 g RIC IV Gordian III 38; RSC 312; Sear 2459;
It is of course tempting to say "yes", but neither Gordian I or Gordian II issued antoninanii, to my knowledge. It is of course a possibility that the mint was about to issue ants, then they both died and the dies were used for Gordian III, but it's hard to find any proof of that. It is more likely that it is the pattern we have seen repeatedly when an emperor suddenly died: The successors first coins looked more like the previous ruler than the new one. The engravers probably only had a written or oral description of the man they were about to picture. Maximinus I, for example, never even visited Rome during his reign.
Hi All, Nero looking like Claudius … in year 3! https://www.cointalk.com/threads/fo...m-if-you-got-‘em.300099/page-567#post-8158545 - Broucheion
I'm not. I don't see why they would approach the die cutting making a face resembling a man completely unrelated to Gordian III instead of his father and brother.
Here's a very early portrait of the new Severus Alexander, reportedly a "Proclamation Issue" (i.e., Proclamation of a new emperor after the death of Elagabalus, is my understanding). First Emission, per the catalogs. A very interesting portrait, not just a new Emperor, but a new Emperor with an Antioch style portrait. (The distant mints took a while to catch up to imagery in most cases.) Somewhat Elagabalus in appearance? Flan crack or no, I really like this one. Another interesting feature: not just Antioch, but it's a LIBERALITAS struck in Antioch. The "Liberalitas" (handouts of cash -- probably silver coins? -- to the people during the celebration) took place in Rome, not Antioch, and that's where they were almost always struck. Anyone who knows the Severans (or RIC generally) better than me: Could there have been a Liberalitas in Antioch too?
Me too. Seriously. I imagine that a Liberalitas would demand the prescence of the emperor. After all, which CEO would accept some local employee to go and throw around coins? But considering that Severus Alexander came from the province of Syria, it’s not unthinkable that he would visit his home crowd with a couple of sacks of newly minted denarii? Here’s Maximinus Thrax not really looking like himself: Maximinus I. 235-238 AD. AR Denarius, Rome circa 235-236 AD. Obverse: IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right Reverse: SALVS AVGVSTI, Salus seated left, feeding from patera a serpent rising from altar. Reference: RIC IV 14; BMCRE 99; RSC 85a.
Wow I love that portrait of Maximinus! Very sharp. The first thing I think of with him is that, after Domna and Sev. Alexander were killed for making peace with the Germans, he stole their "German captives-and-trophy" style reverse for Alexandrian Tetradrachms. (The ones below are Sev Alex's final year, then Max's 3rd.) I almost forgot that I have an RIC 5, RSC 357 Gordian III from the first emission which is technically the same issue as @svessien 's and @Orange Julius 's -- but the portrait is so different it may as well be a different type: I always find it fun to compare this first issue VICTORIA AVG Gordian III (Rome 238) to this one struck a few years later and from a different mint (Antioch, 242):
This coin has a legend for Vetranio, but the clean shaven bust looks like Constantius II. Vetranio A.D. 350 22x24mm 3.5gm D N VETRANIO P F AVG; laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right. CONCORDIA MILITVM; Vetranio standing facing, holding labarum inscribed with Chi-Rho in each hand, star above, A in left field, B in right. In ex. •TS∆• RIC VIII Thessalonica 132
Do you know if that was the other way around too? I've seen a couple of coins like this in the name of Constantius II, with a portrait that looked more like Vetranio?
I wouldn't expect so, as Constantius II was always clean shaven and mint workers surely knew what he looked like.
I like this young Gordian III sestertius (minted in Rome 238/9). His portrait is one of the earliest ones - I mean real portrait, drawn from his actual features.
