Gordian III (238-244 AD), AR Antoninianus, Rome mint, 240 AD, RIC 71, Sear 8669, RSC 388

Roman Empire: Gordian III (238-244 AD), AR Antoninianus, Rome mint, 240 AD, RIC 71, Sear 8669, RSC 388 (3.70 g, 22.5 mm)

Obverse: IMP GORDIANVS DIVS FEL AVG (Error: “DIVS” instead of “PIVS”). Bust of Gordian III, radiate, draped, cuirassed, right

Reverse: VIRTVS AVG (Virtus Augusti: Courage of the emperor). Mars, helmeted, in military attire, standing front, head left, holding olive branch in right hand and spear in left hand; shield resting against right leg

 

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A great coin. I'm not sure if that's Virtus herself on the reverse -- it's sometimes difficult to tell when she isn't portrayed with an obviously female bare right breast -- or intended to depict the emperor. The shield and spear are in the position typically associated with her, but she is most often shown with one foot resting on a helmet, and holding a parazonium in her second hand.

 

I love the toning on that coin.

 

Thank you for pointing out. I checked Sear, and the coin is No. 8669 instead of 8668, which Sear mentions as "Mars standing left..." (could also possibly be the emperor himself). I had only looked at Wildwinds earlier. Have edited the original post accordingly.

 

Interesting coin! Compare it to mine below. When I say 'compare' I am not talking about grade or things that drive sales in the marketplace but what is shown on the coin. Donna is 100% right about Virtus. My coin shows the standard female personification with bare breast. Yours shows a bearded man which I would prefer we call 'soldier' but might accept 'Mars' in full military attire. My coin has the earlier obverse legend IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG which is termed '1st issue' and RIC 6. I believe RIC is just plain old wrong calling both of these figures by the same name. My coin does not show a figure in 'military dress' but the female personification lightly clad in a way not at all appropriate for a human soldier with well executed fabric folds in her dress. Yours shows a soldier fully clad for battle. Note also the difference in the design of the vertical spears. Yours has barbs, mine does not.

RIC is an old book (my copy is the one volume dated 1986 but there were earlier editions released in three parts). It could use updating in many ways. Sear is newer and was right in making this correction. I'm posting this mostly to avoid wasting all my typing which turns out to be too slow to be of any real use here.


Would someone like to explain to me why the change from the early legend and the later 'Pius' one did not cause the scholars to upnumber their issue count? Both are listed as 'Third Issue'. I realize they make this stuff up based on factors too lofty for mere collectors and use footnotes to admit guessing but a major change of obverse legend would seem worthy of a new issue number. Perhaps I am too hard on them considering the statement on page xxiii claiming this to be a 'product of 1940 accidentally delayed' by 'the difficulties of the times'. I suppose World War II could qualify as a difficult time. Today, we need a rewrite not another repackaging of old data.

 

Nice example of a VIRTVS type.

 

Nice coin - love that toning @Amit Vyas

Now for something very ugly - a fourree / barbaric imitation of sorts - it's copper with remains of a silver wash. The reverse figure is barely humanoid, so hard to tell the gender (lady Sasquatch?). I thought it was interesting that two of the S's in the obverse legend were omitted; I'm guessing S's are hard to engrave into a die. The reverse S is there, but not very skillfully:


Gordian III Æ Antoninianus
(c. 238-239 A.D.)
Rome / Antioch Mint imitation
IMP CAE(S) M ANT GORDIANV(S) AVG, radiate, draped bust right / VIRTVS
AVG, Virtus standing left, holding spear, hand resting on shield.
RIC 6 / RIC 205 imitation.
(3.95 grams / 21 mm)
eBay May 2018 Lot @ $1.40
Attribution Note: Copper with silver wash imitation of official issue, Rome (RIC 6) or Antioch (RIC 205). Obverse legends blundered (deleted S, twice), bust, Virtus and legends in crude style.

Somewhat less dreadful, I recently got an as of the type (Virtus holding a branch, like the OP):


Gordian III Æ As
(240 A.D.)
Rome Mint
IMP GORDIA[NVS PI]VS FEL AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / VIRTVS A[VG] S [C], Virtus standing front, head left, holding branch and inverted spear, shield set on ground behind.
RIC 293b; Cohen 391.
(11.05 grams / 25 x 23 mm)
eBay Jan. 2022

 

Interesting.

Mine has the obverse legend of @dougsmit's example, but the reverse of @Amit Vyas' showing a bearded soldier with no doubt.


Gordian III, Antoninianus - Rome mint, 3rd emission, AD 02-05/239
IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, Draped and radiate bust of Gordian right
VIRTVS AVG, Virtus standing facing, head left, holding branch and spear; shield resting at his side.
4,54 gr
Ref : RCV # 8668, RIC # 39, Cohen # 381, Michaux #322

Q

 

Lovely new acquisition for your collection, @Amit Vyas! It is well-struck and the toning is marvelous.

I enjoy a Gordy ant every now and then, even though I don't have one of his VIRTVS reverse types.


Gordian III, AD 238-244.
Roman AR antoninianus, 3.62 g, 21.6 mm, 5 h.
Rome mint, 2nd officina, 3rd emission, AD 241-243.
Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: IOVI STATORI, Jupiter standing facing, head right, holding scepter and thunderbolt.
Refs: RIC 84; Cohen 109; RCV 8615; Hunter 51.

 

Lovely coin. I just bought a Gordian III with Virtus too. I'll share when it arrives in the mail!

 

@Amit Vyas and @dougsmit, I'm sorry I neglected to mention the other two "usual suspects" besides the emperor for the portrayal accompanying a VIRTVS legend when it isn't Virtus herself being depicted, namely Mars and "a soldier." (If I recall correctly, the latter is how RIC usually identifies the figure.)

By the way, I wouldn't rely too much on David Sear when it comes to Virtus: for some reason, he seems unwilling to recognize the overwhelming weight of authority (scholarly, grammatical, and numismatic) agreeing that Virtus, when portrayed as such, is a female personification -- for details, you can do a search for my previous posts on the subject using "Virtus" and "female" as the search terms. Inexplicably, in the glossary in front of each volume of RCV, he identifies her as a male personification.

Looking at the other examples of these two Gordian III "VIRTVS AVG" types available on VCoins, it's rather clear from the best-preserved specimens that all the ones showing Virtus holding a branch on the reverse and having the same obverse legend as your coin (as well as at least one with the "PIVS" obverse legend) portray a male figure, mostly wearing what appears to be a cuirass completely covering his chest up to the neck; some certainly seem to be bearded. And that all the ones showing Virtus without a branch, with her hand on her shield, with the "M ANT" obverse legend, are portraying Virtus herself, with a bare right breast.

Some examples of the male figure, one of them a sestertius with the PIVS legend:






Two examples of the female figure:





No matter how well-informed they usually are, 98% of dealers entirely miss this distinction when they describe "VIRTVS" coins.

 

As promised, here it is! Arrived in the mail a couple days ago, but two 12 hour shifts interrupted my posting! As @DonnaML has posted this shows Virtus in female form.

 

I found another one with a different legend, but the same “soldier/Mars” reverse: very likely the same type posted by Cucumbor. These Gordian III coins are deceptively easy to hoard up on, given they are relatively inexpensive to acquire in great condition.

 

Thats a fantastic coin! As far as I know this is Mars in the role of the Peacebringer/maker. I have a similar reverse type from the reign of Severus Alexander and one with the MARTI PACIFERO legend but same figure from the reign of Gallienus:
Emperor Severus Alexander - Denarius - PM TRP COS II PP (Mars the Peacemaker)

Emperor Gallienus - Antoninianus - MARTI PACIFERO (I should clean it one day but I didnt dare yet)

 

G3


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

 

Finally photographed.

(4.04 g, 23 mm)

 

Looks like it has some very nice color on it! Nice coin.