Gordian III Tet of Antioch

This great coin arrived yesterday - very sharp strike, minimal cleaning, maybe even the original find patina. (I love it!). I think of Antioch tets as the Morgan Dollars of ancient collecting, but unlike Morgan dollars, you can at least collect a series of different emperors.



Show us your PROVINCIAL issues of Gordian III. No ants, especially - they're so common they've received the unfortunate epithet "cockroaches" around here. (Unfortunate because they are beautiful Roman coins of fine silver after all.)

 

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Nice coin, nicely toned !

Here are two PROVINCIALS



Macedonia, Edessa, Gordian III
Gordianus III
Macedonia, Edessa
Obv.: AVT K M ANTΩNIOC ΓOPΔIANOC, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: ЄΔЄCCAIΩN, Roma seated left on cuirass, holding Nike and parazonium, crowned by Tyche standing behind her and holding cornucopiae
AE, 24mm, 7.02g
Ref.: Varbanov 3, 3658




Macedonia, Pella, Gordianus III
AE 24
Obv.: IMP C M ANT * GORDIANVS, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust r.
Rev.: COL IVL A - VG – PELLA, Pan seated left on rock, right arm over head and holding pedum in left; syrinx (pan flute) in left field.
AE, 24.4 mm, 9.52 g
Ref.: SNG Copenhagen 286, Varbanov 3758

 

Very nice example. One of the better ones I've seen.


Gordian III (238 - 244 A.D.)
AR Tetradrachm
Syria, Seleucis and Pieria. Antioch
O: AVTOK K M ANT GORDIANOC CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
R: DHMAPX EX UPATO B, eagle standing facing, head left with wreath in beak, below, crescent & ram running right.
Antioch Mint, Struck 242 A.D.
27mm
13.5g
Prieur 302

 

This has Hercules of the Boarium type on the reverse. Obverse is the scarce "Hot Lips" variety.


This is an ant (sorry for breaking your rule) but it is a rather more unusual fourree.


Here is the world famous Three Graces reverse motif. A bit off center, but I'll take it.


Lastly we have Marsyas! The obverse is pretty obliterated, but I will take a fine reverse over a fine obverse anyday, especially for these provincials.

 

I sold this neat left-facing Antioch Tetradrachm because it was a white whale in my Sestertius collection. Sigh...


AVTOK K M ANT ΓOPΔIANOC CЄB / ΔHMAPX ЄΞ VΠA TO B
Radiate, cuirassed bust of Gordianus III left, both pteryges visible /
Eagle standing facing, head left, with wings spread, holding wreath in beak; below, crescent above ram leaping left, head right.
Tetradrachm, Antioch, 242
10,91 g / 26 mm
McAlee 881; Prieur 298

 

Singara (Sinjar, Northern Iraq) - Gordian III and Tranquillina, AE 27-30 mm, thick 4.5 mm, 23.36 g
AVTOK K M AT(sic) ΓOPΔIANON CAB TPANKVΛΛINA CEB , Bust of Gordian III facing bust of Tranquillina.
Rev.: AVP CEΠ KOΛ CINΓAPA , Tyche of Singara seated left on rock, holding branch, Sagittarius (emblem of the Legio III Parthica) over her head.

[Poor Tyche of Singara ! Could she see what happened in her city (today called Sinjar) in August 2014? Sinjar was caught by ISIS and the Yazidi men massacred, the women taken into slavery. Thousands of victims...]

 

Nice new pickup! This Gordian III tet from Antioch was struck on a particularly large flan (around 30mm), which I always like, and also has an interesting reverse strike.

 

Even the Provincials have a way of multiplying if we are not careful. I have too many but probably show the same few each time it comes up here. I keep saying I will start recording what I show here to avoid duplicates but, like most things anymore, intentions and actions are not in step with each other.
Marcianopolis, AE25 Castor? and horse


Marcianopolis, Apollo


with Serapis, Marcianopolis, Magna Mater


Nikopolis, Hermes


Hadrianopolis, Apollo


AR drachm, Caesarea year 4, second neocourate / mountain


Alexandria later?

 

John, That's a handsome Tet & a nice sharp strike . Pictured below are a few of my favorite provincial coins of Gordian III.






Antioch-Pisidia, Gordian III, AD 238-244, AE 25.82, 34.1 mm, 7 h. Krzyanowska dies XX 85. RPC VII.2 (unassigned; ID 3373). Rare


I sold this coin at a heritage auction in 2018 for $252.00. I think it would fetch far more in today's market.

 

This is my favorite Gordian III provincial (for obvious reasons):

Gordian III
AE26
Hadrianopolis, Thrace
Obverse: AVT K M ANT ΓOΡΔIANOC AV, laureate, draped bust right Reverse: AΔΡIANOΠOΛEITΩN, Nike standing left with wreath and palm branch.
Reference: SNG Cop 588.

 

The reason I postponed Alexandria earlier is that the postman was scheduled to bring my fourth Gordian III Alexandria tetradrachm. Why would anyone want four GIII tets? Each has something to say for it. Which would be welcome in your collection. Many will say none and none are mint state or especially desirable to the high end market. The new one came from last week's CNG electronic sale which meant that the big money group had no use for the coin.

The coins:
New today, I have not even researched it but you do not need to see anything that is not on the coin. This one is slightly less common with the legend ΜΑΝΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟCΚΑΙCΑ rather than ANT for AN and lacking the final A. Those who have paid attention to my previous posts will see why I wanted the coin. Those who don't care for Gordian won't like this one either. The obvious point is the coin shows him bare headed as Caesar under Balbinus and Pupienus.
Year 1 eagle


My previous three:
Year 6 Tyche - I would not have bought this 'someone standing there' coin but it came in a trade and is a pleasant, mid grade coin.


Year 6 Serapis - CNG sold a lot of this type a couple years ago - one per sale. Had I known they had so many, I would have put off the purchase. It cost $6 more than the Caesar (too much considering the flat spot on the reverse).


Year 7 eagle - The eagle is standing behind a wreath. It does not have fluffy legs. This was cleaned in a way that revealed its silver color which is now toning down. ex. Aiello from Andy Singer


I like Alexandrian coins but this is probably enough Gordian III examples.

 

great coin John!

 

I like the Serapis reverse. Most of my Alexandrian tets suffer from the "someone standing there" or eagle syndrome. The unadorned head is interesting though, since it is during the time of Pupienus and Balbinus.

 

Alexandrian tets are almost always someone or an eagle standing there. It's not always easy to find something interesting, that's for sure.
I always liked the two headed ones, myself.

 

I have only the one Gordian III Provincial with Tranquillina.

Gordian III with wife Tranquillina, AE 26 mm., 241-244 AD, Thracia, Anchialus [Pomorie, Bulgaria]. Obv. Confronted busts of Gordian III right, laureate, draped and cuirassed, and Tranquillina left, draped and wearing stephane; ΑVT Κ M ANT / ΓOPΔIANOC AVΓ clockwise around; CEB TPAN // KVΛΛINA in exergue; border of dots/ Rev. Apollo standing left, holding patera in right hand; left arm resting on column; ΟΥΛΠΙΑΝωΝ / ΑΓXΙΑΛEωΝ clockwise around; border of dots. RPC Online VII.2 48961, Moushmov 2939, Varbanov II 668, AMNG II 656. 26 mm., 11.91 g.

 

They’re not always someone standing there coins! …sometimes they’re sitting.

 

I havent got any nice provincials of Gordian III. but today a very nice antiochian tetradrachm from the reign of his successor Emperor Philip I. arrived here and I'am really happy about it

Btw I'am struggling to find a translation of the reverse legend right now so I would be thankful if someone could share one.

 

One or two in here that have not been posted before.


Mesopotamia, Edessa. Gordian III and Abgar X Æ22
Obv: Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian r. seen from behind; star before.
Rev: Mantled bust of Abgar r., bearded, wearing Parthian-style tiara with rosette; star behind.



Moesia, Viminacium. Gordian III. 238-244 AD. Æ30. Year 2
Obv: IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, Laureate bust right, slight drapery on left shoulder.
Rev: P M S COL VIM AN II, Moesia standing facing, head left; bull and lion at sides.



Thrace, Deultum. Gordian III AE23
Obv: GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust left, holding spear and shield.
Rev: COL FL PAC DEVLT, Zeus standing front, looking left, holding thunderbolt and sceptre.



Thrace, Mesembria. Gordian III and Tranquillina AE26
Obv: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, facing diademed and draped bust of Tranquillina left.
Rev: Tyche standing left with rudder and cornucopia.

 

The reverse translates TRP COS IIII. The Greek names for the equivalent offices are Δημαρχ(ική) ẻξουσίασ and ύπατος followed by the delta for 4. Under the eagle is the city name and SC. Note mine below has a gamma for III in place of your delta.

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