JULY 29th: a teenager is Emperor

The history
It's a good start in life when your grandfather and also one of your uncle were Emperors before you, or is it really ? When you receive the title of Caesar and three months later, after the execution of the join rulers of the Empire, you are proclaimed sole Emperor, you probably feel a lot of pressure; especially if you're only 13 years old. It happened to Gordian III July 29th 238 AD. With the help of Timesitheus, he took the lead of the Empire for 6 years. He was popular and appreciated by the citizens of Rome and as well by the Senate. We can say that he was a good Emperor and had a certain success in his short career. During the year 239 AD, he even received the nickname of PIVS, and he is sometimes called Gordian the Pius. It's not crystal clear how he died; was he killed at war, or by the army, or did his successor Philip (the Arab) planned his assassination?



The coinage
Gordian the third coins' are among the cheapest and the most available to buy. You can easily find a well preserved specimen for about the price of a good meal at the restaurant. Rome, Antioch (also called eastern mint) and maybe (?)Viminacium produced coins during the reign of the teenager. For Antioch it was a re-opening, probably to fund the Eastern armies during the war against the Persians. The last great issues of denarii occurred under Gordi III ; beginning with his successor, that denomination became quite rare. The large bronze coins, so common in the previous century, are becoming increasingly scarce, and would almost be eliminated within the next decade or so. During the few months he was Caesar, Sestertii and denarii were struck for him, but they are very hard (and expensive) to get. With almost 140 diverse reverse types, you can gather new examples in your collection for years. And this is the CHALLENGE: how many different types can we post here ? Please show me your Gordian III coins !

Antoninianus AETERNITATI AVG (Sol holding globe)


Sestertius Gordian seated on Curule Chair


And a little QUIZ: what do these two coins (not mine) of Gordi III have in common ?

 

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Gordy!!!!

I have lots of Gordian III coins, but I'll just show this sestertius.


Gordian III, AD 238-244.
Roman Æ sestertius, 24.30 gm, 28.7 mm, 12 h.
Rome, AD 240.
Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: LIBERTAS AVG SC, Libertas standing left, holding pileus and scepter.
Refs: RIC 318a; Cohen 153; RCV 8717; Hunter 147.

 

I love G3! He has such a great variety of coins.

These are a couple of my favorites:

Gordian III AE26 of Hadrianopolis, Thrace. AYT K M ANT ΓOΡΔIANOC AV, laureate, draped bust right / AΔΡIANOΠOΛEITΩN, Nike standing left with wreath and palm branch. SNG Cop 588.


Gordian III AE22 of Markianopolis. M ANT ΓOΡΔIANOC AYΓ, laureate, draped bust right / MAΡKIANOΠOΛITΩN, the three Graces dancing together, the left one holding a kantharos.


Gordian III Æ Sestertius. 238-239 AD. IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right / VICTORIA AVG S-C, Victory advancing left carrying wreath & palm. Cohen 358.

 

Mixing things up a bit with some oddballs:


Fourree/limes antoninianus



Odessos assarion with reverse of Boarium Herakles Type
(also - Hot Lips obverse variety)

Hadrianopolis assarion with cupid on dolphin
Also, a massive cud on the obverse!

 

I LOVE that three graces type. I just bought one from AMCC, and I'm eagerly awaiting it! Can't wait to join the club.

 

They both have their upper lip curled in a sneer.

 

Gordian III As Caesar 138 AD. Obv. Bust rightbare headed and draped seen from back. Rv Sacrificial implements RIC 1 3.05 grms 20 mm He became Caesar on 22 April 138 AD. He managed to survive the discontent surrounding Balbinus and Pupienus who were killed on July 29 138 AD. So at the very ripe old age of 13 lived through the death of his grandfather, uncle and the two emperors of whom he was the heir. All of this happening within 4-5 months.

 

My latest Gordian III arrived today.



Gordian III AR Antoninianus. Rome, AD 241-243.
Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG. Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust to right.
Rev: VIRTVTI AVGVSTI Hercules, naked, standing facing, head to right, resting one hand on hip and other on club set on rock; lion skin beside club.
RIC IV 95; RSC 404
3.27 gr. 23 mm

Fourree:



RIC IV Gordian III 89
Date Range: AD 241 - AD 243
Obverse Legend: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG
Type: Bust of Gordian III, radiate, draped, cuirassed, right
Reverse Legend: P M TR P V COS II P P
Type: Apollo, nude to waist, seated left, holding branch in extended right hand and resting left elbow on lyre

 

Great writeup!

Here are a few Gordians from my collection:
PROVIDENTIA AVG




VIRTVS AVG




And Gordian with moustache and sideburns
SECVRIT PERP




And a Denarius
DIANA LVCIFERA

 

Pisidia-Antiochia, Gordian III, AD 238-244, AE 25.82 gm, 34.1 mm, 7 h. Krzyanowska dies XX/85; RPC 7.2 (unassigned, ID 3373) Rare.


Gordian III, AD 238-244. AE Sestertius: 20.63 gm, 31 mm, 7 h. Rome Mint (struck AD 239). Reverse: Liberalitas holding abacus & cornucopia.


Pisidia-Antiochia, Gordian III AD 238-244. AE: 26.43 gm, 34 mm, 6 h. Reverse: She-wolf suckling Romulus & Remus. SNG France 1211.

 

Gordian III is a wonderful emperor to collect - nice coins at nice prices. This post made me curious about my 2021 acquisitions of this guy. Here they are:

Here is a sestertius I issued for Gordian by Balbinus and Pupienus - one of those coins I can only afford if it gets mis-listed on eBay. It was described as Philip II:

Gordian III Æ Sestertius
Late April-July 29, 238 A.D.
Rome Mint
M ANT GORDIANVS CAES, bare-headed, draped bust right / [PIET]AS AVG[G] S C in exergue, jug between lituus, secespita and patera left, simpulum and aspergillum right.
RIC 3; Cohen 183; BMC 64-66.
(21.33 grams / 29 mm)
eBay June 2021
Notes: "In response to popular pressure shortly after their own elevation to imperial status, the emperors Balbinus and Pupienus adopted Gordian as Caesar. This scarce coin was part of a limited and formal coinage produced for Gordian." Wildwinds

This is a sestertius that came in just last week:


Gordian III Æ Sestertius
(239-240 A.D.)
Rome Mint, 6th Off. 3rd Emiss.
IMP CAES M ANT GORDIA[NV]S AVG, laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right /
P M TR P II COS P [P] S-C, emperor standing, holding patera over tripod-altar.
RIC 271; Banti 62; Hunter 81.
(20.45 grams / 29 x 28 mm)
eBay July 2021

Here is an antoninianus I got in May - I attributed it to the Rome mint, but I :

Gordian III Antoninianus
(243-244 A.D.)
Rome (5th Issue, 5th Officina)
IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / VICTOR
AETER, Victory standing left, holding palm and resting right hand on shield set atop captive.
RIC 154; Cohen 348.
(3.62 grams / 22 x 20 mm)
eBay May 2021

Here is another antoninianus featuring Securitas. Unlike most silver of this reign, this one is very toned - it came in a lot of silver, all toned in a similar way, most of them holed - a hoard probably, but I know nothing else. Because of the toning, this is one of my favorite Gordies:


Gordian III Antoninianus
(243-244 A.D.)
Rome (5th Emission)
IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / SECVRITAS PERPETVA, Securitas standing left, elbow on column, sceptre in right hand.
RIC 153; Cohen 336.
(4.24 grams / 22 x 21 mm)
eBay April 2021

This is a Provincial that I found a die-match to in a Baldwin's auction:


Gordian III Æ 25
(c. 238-244 A.D.)
Moesia Inf., Nicopolis ad Istrum
Sabinius Modestus, legatus
[ΑΥΤ Κ Μ] ΑΝΤΩ(Ν) ΓΟΡΔ[ΙΑΝ]ΟϹ, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / [ΥΠ ϹΑΒ ΜΟΔƐ]ϹΤΟΥ ΝΙΚΟΠΟΛƐΙΤΩΝ ΠΡΟϹ [ΙϹΤΡΟΝ], eagle standing facing, head left, wreath in beak
(11.80 grams / 25 mm)
eBay April 2021
Attribution Notes:
Hristova/Hoeft/Jekov (2020)8.36.1.17 (per Jochen1 CT)
Varbanov 4192; AMNG 2099. RPC VII.2, (unassigned; ID 28829)
Obv. / reverse die match to RPC specimen, from Baldwin's Auction 99, Lot 686, 4 May 2016

From the same lot as the Nicopolis above came this Viminacium - the obverse is horrible and normally I wouldn't inflict it on CT, but the reverse big-headed bull is still pretty cute:

Gordian III Æ Sestertius
Year 1 (239-240 A.D.)
Viminacium, Moesia Superior
[IMP CAE]S M ANT [GORDIAN]VS AVG, laureate draped & cuirassed bust right / [PM]SCO LVIM, Moesia standing facing, bull and lion either side. AN · I in exergue.
Pick 71; Varbanov 102.
(10.29 grams / 27 mm)
eBay April 2021

That's most of them from 2021 - a couple were so cruddy I'm sparing you the image.

 

WOW! I was hoping someone would show one in this thread because they are really hard to find !

 

IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG - Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind /
P M TR P V COS II P P S C - Gordian III, in military attire, advancing right, holding transverse spear and globe
Sestertius, Rome 242 (10th emission of Gordian III)
29,81 mm / 20,61 gr / 2 h
RIC 307a, Cohen 267, Banti 75 (19 specimens), Sear 8731 var(TRP IIII), Brown (The Coinage of Gordian III) p. 7, Issue 4(b)

 

Of interest for this thread, The Emperors of Rome podcast recently did an episode on Gordian III. https://player.fm/series/emperors-of-rome-2149383/episode-clxiv-gordian-iii

 

Many of us have something approaching 'too many' Gordian coins. I wish I could remember which I have shown but it still might be best to show the ones that seem most significant rather than just different from last time. I am fond of the Eastern (Antioch) mint antoniniani like this Oriens.


This sestertius has a strange shaped flan that appears to have been cut down on two sides but is normally rounded on the other sides.


Most of my favorite Gordians are Provincials and there are thousands of really interesting Gordians from many cities. Mine are quite ordinary compared to the best.

In keeping with my fondness for 'technical' coins, this Nicopolis shows a severely broken reverse die and particularly graphic centration 'pits' showing concentric scratches around on each side.


My second example of this horseman type shows another choice in reverse legend placement with all letters around the edge rather than the three line exergue. I suspect, but have not researched, there are other options for the type. Note this die ran out of space before finishing that final N in ICTPON.


The full legend was it on this Hermes reverse used with the same obverse.


This Hadrianopolis shows the fine style of this city and a 'not bad' green patina.


From Tarsos this AE36 promotes the city as AMK (First, greatest, most beautiful) but the meaning of ΓΒ is less certain to me. Later rulers issued coins with ΓΓ suggesting the B is a numeral 2. Some people say the Γ relates to the number of neocorate temples in the city but I remain open to ideas.


There are relatively few silver Provincials but a common one is this Caesarea drachm. This one does show the more standard B NE honoring two neocorate temples in that city.


Before his marriage, Gordian issued twin portrait coins with Serapis from Marcianopolis. On this Cybele reverse bronze we see the twin portrait and large E that show this was a 5 assaria coin.


After his marriage, Gordian was shown with his wife Tranquillina. This coin of Tomis is very special to me since something was dug out of the reverse die leaving a raised scar. I believe this was most likely the ligate form of '4 1/2' used on many coins of this city upgrading the coin to a full five assaria. I have seen two other coins of this die offered for sale but both showed the alteration. I really would like to see a coin of this die before it was changed.

 

GORDIAN III AS


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

 

Some of Gordie...

 

Gordian III Laetitia Avg N sestertius - I've had this piece for a long time.

http://old.stoa.org/gallery/album100/ML_18_Gord_III_Laetitia_sest?full=1

And a very unusual cartoonish portrait on an Antioch Saeculi Felicitias ant.

http://old.stoa.org/gallery/album100/01_Gordian_Ant_Saeculi?full=1

 

I'm not much on the antique coins, but I do enjoy the history behind them. I learned a great deal today. Thank you.