Gordian III and Tranquillina acquisitions

I got these three Gordian III and Tranquillina marriage commemoratives from an auction lot of provincials from Thrace and Moesia Inferior. I love these coins because they are plentiful, generally well-preserved, and have a lot of variety in their reverse types.


Gordian and Tranquillina
Roman provincial AE 26.4 mm, 12.98 g
Thrace, Anchialus, AD 241
Obv: Κ Μ ΑΝΤ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟC ΑVΓ CΕΒ-[...], laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian and draped bust of Tranquillina, wearing stephane, confronted.
Rev: ΟVΛΠΑΝW[ΑΝ]ΧΙΑΛΕWΝ, Asklepios standing facing, head left, with serpent climbing staff to left.
Refs: Moushmov 2936; AMGN II 665; Varbanov 672; SNG Copenh --; BMC Thrace --


Gordian and Tranquillina
Roman provincial AE 25.8 mm, 11.44 g
Thrace, Mesembria, AD 241
Obv: ΑVΤ Κ Μ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟC ΑVΓ CΕΒ-ΤΡΑΝΚVΛΛΙΝ[Α], confronted busts as above.
Rev: ΜΕCΑΜΒΡΙΑΝΩΝ, Apollo in long robe, standing left, holding plectrum in outstretched right hand and resting left on lyre set on column
Refs: Moushmov 3998; Varbanov 4175-4176 (obv. legend var.); Karayatov 11 (die 020)


Gordian and Tranquillina
Roman provincial AE 27.4 mm, 12.23 g
Thrace, Odessos, AD 241
Obv: ΑVΤ Κ Μ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟC ΑVΓ CΕ-ΤΡΑΝΚVΛ-ΛEΙΝ[Α], confronted busts as above.
Rev: ΟΔΗCCΕΙ[ΤΩΝ], Tyche standing left, holding rudder and cornucopiae; E in field, left.
Refs: Moushmov 1697; Varbanov 4608; AMNG 2402

 

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Congrats, what a pick up, great detail.

 

Nice additions, I especially like the Apollo.

 

I do too. Too bad the "centration dimple" took out Gordian's cheek!

 

Perhaps it is his natural dimple in his chin... Kinda like Kirk Douglas...

 

Really nice coins, I like all of them. Too bad I don't have any.

 

nice lookin', sweet green patina...and i like the asklepios reverse especially!

 

Another great score! Here's a younger GIII.


Phrygia, Docimeium. Gordian III AE30. Athena Alkidemos.
Obv: M ANT ΓOPΔIANOC AVΓ, draped laureate right.
Rev: ΔOKIMEΩN MAKEΔONΩN, Athena Alkidemos.
RPC 744

 

Sweet pickups @Roman Collector

GORDIAN III
AE26
OBVERSE: ΑΥΤ Κ Μ ΑΝΤ ΓΟΡ∆ΙΑΝΟC ΑΥΓ ΤΡΑΝΚΥΛ/ΛΙΝΑ, confronted busts of Gordian III and Tranquillina
REVERSE: ΟΥΛΠΙΑΝΩΝ ΓΧΙΑΛΕ/ΩΝ, Tyche or Homonoia standing left wearing modius, patera in right, cornucopia in left
Struck at Hadrianopoli, 238-244 AD
12.44g, 26mm
AMNG II 675

GORDIAN III
AE 25/26
OBVERSE: AVT K M ANT GORDIANOC AVG CAB CEB TPANKVLEINA, draped busts face to face
REVERSE: OVLPIANWN AGCIALEWN, Zeus standing left, naked to waist, holding thunderbolt and sceptre
Struck at THRACE , Anchialos, 238-244AD
9.7g, 25mm
Moushmov 2945; Varbanov 740-741

 

That says AΓΧΙΑΛΕ/ΩΝ right on the reverse--Anchialus. Is this really struck in Hadrianopolis?

I think it's Moushmov 2948; Varbanov 764

 

Roman Collector => congrats on those great OP-winners

I really love the "serpent climbing staff"

 

Tranquilina:

RI Prv Thrace Deultum Tranquillina 241-244 CE Æ 22mm 6-6 g Hermes purse caduceus SNG Bulgaria 1504-8

Gordian III:

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

 

Nice! I have a Tranquillina from Deultum, too. I think it may even be an obverse die-match to yours! It portrays Marsyas on the reverse:


AE 24 mm; 8.0 gm
Moushmov 3757; Yourukova 425, 4/II; SNG Copenhagen 549 (var).

 

WOW! That is a neat coincidence! I do not think that I have die matches anywhere in my collection!

 

Great looking coins. I went to VCoins to check them out, and noticed many of this type had holes/punch marks on them. What was the reason behind that?

 

These dimples were probably put in the flan by the spindle of a rotary sander used to smooth the blanks before striking. You can read all about them in this interesting article by @dougsmit who can even tell you more about them.

 

Gordian is also cheekless on the same coin (although yours is far superior) at http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/pit.html. It makes you think that there was some standard process creating these centration dimples and not just a random worker grabbing the hot flan with tongs...Your coins are very, very nice.

 

The machine process started with Ptolemaic bronzes and are well explained in an extensive essay:
http://www.classicalcoins.com/flans3.html
I linked to page three where he gets to the Provincials but you really should back up and read the whole thing:
http://www.classicalcoins.com/flans1.html
This site covers the 'how' quite well but leaves us with the 'why???'. We modern collectors have trouble believing that they would put such good work in the dies for these coins only to strike them on flans with those ugly marks.

 

Interesting article.
Another thought. Could these have been centering punches?