Gordianus I Africanus

That is a fantastic sestertius! I have a humble BI tetradrachm from Alexandria.


Marcus Antonius Gordianus Sempronianus Romanus Africanus Augustus, perhaps the most reluctant of Emperors,

Egypt, Alexandria. A.D. 238. BI tetradrachm (22 mm, 12.47 g, 12 h). RY 1.
O: A K M AN ΓOPΔIANOC CЄM AΦ ЄVCЄB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian I right
R: Athena seated left, holding Nike and spear; in left field, date (L A).
- Köln 2600; cf. Dattari (Savio) 4656 (legend); Kampmann & Ganschow 68.6., Ex Coin Galleries (16 July 2003), 264.

According to Edward Gibbon:

An iniquitous sentence had been pronounced against some opulent youths of [Africa], the execution of which would have stripped them of far the greater part of their patrimony. (…) A respite of three days, obtained with difficulty from the rapacious treasurer, was employed in collecting from their estates a great number of slaves and peasants blindly devoted to the commands of their lords, and armed with the rustic weapons of clubs and axes. The leaders of the conspiracy, as they were admitted to the audience of the procurator, stabbed him with the daggers concealed under their garments, and, by the assistance of their tumultuary train, seized on the little town of Thysdrus, and erected the standard of rebellion against the sovereign of the Roman empire. (...) Gordianus, their proconsul, and the object of their choice [as emperor], refused, with unfeigned reluctance, the dangerous honour, and begged with tears that they should suffer him to terminate in peace a long and innocent life, without staining his feeble age with civil blood. Their menaces compelled him to accept the Imperial purple, his only refuge indeed against the jealous cruelty of Maximin (...).

 

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Pictures or it didn't happen!

 

Fo Show! I would never guess of having one, unless I found it in the wild though.

 

Yes, I do indeed have Gordian I - Providentia type sestertius:

I am in the market for a Gordian II. I'll post one when I buy one to my liking. GII is expensive but some of the big name dealers are selling these for more than is reasonable.

 

gorgeous example, Smeag (congrats)

 

Thanks Gol! I'm a better collector now thanks to CT. I used to buy crap lol

 

Uhmmm, HEY! Any time you want to sell off your "crap" let me know! I still have some great Portraits that I am trying to fill that only YOU have!

 

Well I have a Marcian AE4 monogram that I've upgraded to a gold solidus, so that's available. I'd give it away for the cost of postage, I found it in an uncleaned group of coins years ago. But you probably have Marcian.

When I upgrade any of my rare emperors I shall let you know! I am on the lookout for a Libius Severus solidus to replace my LS "Ricimer" monogram AE4.

 

Great Sestertius, Greg! :-D
I guess I will stick with my Gordian Senior for now (my family demands summer holidays instead of a quality Gordian II and I want to stop working with space fillers - my Balbinus is a shame next to Pupienus...), so the task is on you and I (and many others I am sure) seriously hope that you will find a fitting counter piece for yours and post it here for everyone to enjoy!

 

Here is another one on offer:

http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotvi...&Lot=937&Val=126ac6d09d458bb4f7d9f31bd46c2d6e

But I still like mine better

 

I'm glad you posted again in this thread @Julius Germanicus as I missed it in the first place : gorgeous Gordian I sestertius and nice writeup

Congrats on a major acquisition
Q

 

The original post is of a truly awesome coin!

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