Gordian III - Plentiful, Beautiful, and Cheap

@zumbly I like that idea of a pocket/wallet piece. I carried around a 1923 Peace Dollar for awhile until it fell out of my pocket in my car and went under the seat and the carpeting...I switched to an Ike for awhile but I like the idea of an ancient.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

These are all very nice coins. I don't think I have found a Gordian III yet. All my coins come from uncleaned lots. I have about 80 that have cleaned up very nice. Some I have posted here on CT. I will check to see if I have any. Very nice coins. Fun to look at. Thanks.

 

An ancient would be perfect, IMHO. They've survived a thousand years or two and will be able to survive a few decades in our pockets/wallets. Maybe not one of those hockey-puck sized Ptolemys though!

 

I feel like that would bust a hole through my pocket, fall down my pant leg, and break a toe or two.

 

I have lots of Gordian III coins, so I'll post one I've never posted before:


Gordian III, AD 238-244.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 19.98 g, 32.1 mm, 12 h.
Rome mint, 1st officina. 8th-11th emissions, late AD 240-early 243.
Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: AETER NITATI AVG S C, Sol standing left, raising hand and holding globe.
Refs: RIC IV 297a; Cohen 43; RCV 8702; Hunter 123; Banti 20.

 

Here's a few Toyo, er... Gordians I've recently acquired...

 

Nothing wrong with a Toyota, neither in the car nor in the coin world:


Gordian III, Roman Empire, antoninianus, 238–239 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG; bust of Gordian III, radiate and draped, r. Rev: VIRTVS AVG; Virtus standing l., leaning on shield and holding spear. 22mm, 5.00g. Ref: RIC IV Gordian III 6. Ex Otto Helbing Nachf., München, Auction 86 (11/15/1942), lot 1758 (on ticket, in catalogue: 1757); ex AMCC 2, lot 464.


Gordian III, Roman Empire, antoninianus, 239 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG; bust of Gordian III, radiate and draped, r. Rev: P M TR P III COS P P; Providentia standing l., holding globe and sceptre. 22mm, 4.76g. Ref: RIC IV Gordian III 18.


Gordian III, Roman Empire, AR antoninianus, 240 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG; bust of Gordian III, radiate, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: ROMAE AETERNAE; Roma, helmeted, seated l. on shield, holding Victory in extended r. hand and spear in l. hand. 22.5mm, 4.65g. Ref: RIC IV Gordian III 70. Ex Silicua, auction 1, lot 121.


Gordian III, Roman Empire, denarius, 240–241 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG; bust of Gordian III, laureate and draped, r. Rev: P M TR P III COS P P; Gordian on horseback riding l., raising r. hand and holding spear or sceptre in l. 20mm, 2.66g. Ref: RIC IV Gordian III 81. Ex Auktionen & Münzhandel Dr. Christoph Stadler (Bremen); ex Münzbörse Stadtwaage (Bremen).


Gordian III, Roman Empire, AR antoninian, 241–243 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG; bust of Gordian III, radiate, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: VIRTVTI AVGVSTI; Hercules, nude, standing r., r. behind back and resting l. hand on club set on rock; beside club, lion-skin. 22mm, 3.49g. Ref: RIC IV Gordian III 95. Ex Classical Ancient Coins.


Gordian III, Roman Empire, antoninianus, 242–244 AD, Antioch mint. Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG; bust of Gordian III, radiate, draped and cuirassed, r. Rev: ORIENS AVG; Sol standing l., raising r. hand and holding globe in l. 22mm, 4.35g. Ref: RIC IV Gordian III 213. Ex C. Kistenich.


Gordian III, Roman Emire, AE sestertius, 244 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG; bust of Gordian III, draped and laureate, r. Rev: VICTORIA AETERNA, Victory, winged, standing l., leaning on shield and holding palm branch, captive at feet l.; in fields flanking, SC. 32mm, 19.68g. Ref: RIC IV Gordian III 338. Ex C. Kistenich.

(Also, if Gordian is the Toyota, does that mean that Gallienus is the Hyundai?)

 

Someone say Gallienus??

 

Gordian III
denarius

antoninianus

Viminacium - dupondius

 

...and anything from an uncleaned lot is a Yugo? This does seem the attitude of many collectors. IMO there are coins from every group and period that are interesting and others that are collected for sake of completeness. In the case of Gordian III, most of the 'best' seem to be Provincials. One could make that case for many rulers. Mine are all common ones from the 'easy' cities. There are some really spectacular one outside of my price bracket.
Markianopolis

Nikopolis

Hadrianopolis

Tarsos

 

I have a few Galleinus in our collection. Some are worse than Pintos. Some are decent mid-tier sedans. I have my eye on one Galleinus that is perhaps a Lexus in my eyes. It is $40 however, which makes it out of my budget.

 

I agree! There are some interesting reverse types among Gordian's provincials. Some of my favorites:

Pentassarion of Anchialus depicting a victorious athlete holding wreath and palm:


Tetrassarion of Hadrianopolis depicting Artemis and the cutest little stag:



An AE 26 of Thessalonica commemorating the Pythian games, in which apples were among the prizes awarded to the winning athletes:



An AE 27 of Nicopolis depicting the nimbate-headed snake god, Glycon:


An AE 25 of Thessalonica featuring the chthonian god Kabeiros within a temple:

 

Other Gordian III's in my collection:

 

I also have a Viminacium...

 

And a couple more:

 

Here's a Gordy I got for a smile. Good job it's the best portrait style for a Gordian III in my trays. Cheaper than any car I guess



Here in France though, the equivalent to a Toyota Corrolla would be a Renault.......Clio !! (shall I dare to pronounce that name here ?)

Q

 

WOW furryfrog02, what a fantastic coin I can see why you love it, what's not to love great detail and that eye candy blue/green patina.
I only have a couple of his, both with his office building. GORDIAN III. DEULTUM THRACE AE 23 Cult statue of Aphrodite & vase within tetrastyle temple viewed in perspective. Varbanov 2277. Roman Provincial, Moesia Inferior, Nicopolis ad Istrum, Gordian III (238-244 AD) Æ 27 (12.43g) Sabinius Modestus, legatus consularis., City Gate, Obv.: Laureate and draped bust right. Rev.: Arched gate flanked by two roofed towers with arched windows in uppermost story. Varbanov 4182.HrHJ (2018) 8.36.46.1. Moushmov 1496

 

Those are cool. The only "building" coin we have in our collection are a few campgates.

 

Since I have gone through 6 Daughters, we have had a lot of cars. They are all grown, some have my vehicles, some have moved on. We have one that is with one of our Daughters, and is still in use. Ford Explorer 2002, with over 300,000 miles (I believe 306,000 mi).

 

That is impressive! Both raising 6 girls AND having a vehicle with over 300,000 miles!