My first real ancient purchase - Gordian III

Perhaps my favorite imperial issue of Gordian III:


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.

 

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Nice Gordy ant – and congratulations on making the move to "the dark side." It's nice around here.

Here is my Gordian III with the Farnese Hercules reverse:

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.

And here are an eastern Sol and a Roma to keep Herculaes company:

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.


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.

 

@hotwheelsearl ....Nice coin to start collecting...As you know this Emperors coins are reasonably cheap for the high detail you can obtain....Interesting seeing all the Hercules depictions and how they differ...Here's my RIC#95

 

In 187 BCE, Marcus Fulvius Nobilior, celebrating victories in Greece, dedicated a Temple of Hercules Musarum in Rome, near the Circus Flaminius. This round temple contained statues of Hercules and the nine Muses, which were likely brought back to Rome as spoils from Greece. Over 100 years after this temple was consecrated, Cicero praised Nobilior for honoring poetry and the arts in his victory over the Greeks.

In the mid-50s BCE, Q. Pomponius Musa punned his name by depicting the Muses on a series of coins. It is possible that the reverses of Musa’s coins depict the actual statues contained within the Marcus Fulvius Nobilior temple. Below are my current examples of four of this fabulous Muse series of coins, long favored by Roman Republican collectors for their high-style:



Rome, The Republic.
Q. Pomponius Musa, mid-50s BCE
AR Denarius (3.58g; 19mm).
Rome Mint.

Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo(?), hair tied-up, facing right; tied scroll behind.

Reverse: Q. POMPONI – MVSA; Clio, muse of history, facing left and leaning on column, while reading open scroll.

References: Crawford 410/3; Sydenham 813; BMCRR 3610-11; Pomponia 11.

Provenance: Ex Heritage Auction 3072 (15 Jan 2019), Lot 35407; Frederick S. Knobloch Collection [Stack's (3-4 May 1978), Lot 469]; E.J. Haeberlin Collection [Cahn-Hess (17 Jul 1933) Lot 2490].



Rome, The Republic.
Q. Pomponius Musa, mid-50s BCE
AR Denarius (3.96g; 18mm).
Rome Mint.

Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo(?), hair tied-up, facing right; scepter behind.

Reverse: MVSA - Q.POMPONI; Melpomene, muse of tragedy, facing left and holding club and theatrical mask.

References: Crawford 410/4; Sydenham 816; BMCRR 3615-16; Pomponia 14.

Provenance: Ex Fay Beth Wedig Collection [CNG eSale 439 (6 Mar 2019) Lot 442]; NAC 11 (29 Apr 1998), Lot 253.



Rome, The Republic.
Q. Pomponius Musa, 56-52 BCE
AR Denarius (3.76g; 20mm).
Rome Mint.

Obv: Q•POMPONI – MVSA; Head of Apollo facing right, hair tied with band.

Rev: HERCVLES – MVSARVM; Hercules facing right, wearing lion skin and playing lyre.

References: Crawford 410/1; Sydenham 810; Pomponia 8.

Provenance: Ex Collection of an English Amateur Scholar [NAC 92 (May 2016) Lot 1669]; Munzen und Medaillen XIX (Jun 1959) Lot 98; L. Hamburger 95 (1932} Lot 238; Manuel Vidal Quadras y Ramon (d. 1894) Collection [E. Bourgey (Nov 1913) Lot 526].


Rome, The Republic.
Q. Pomponius Musa, mid-50s BCE
AR Denarius (3.98g; 19mm).
Rome Mint.

Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo(?), hair tied-up, facing right; star behind.

Reverse: Q. POMPONI – MVSA; Urania, muse of astronomy, facing left, holding wand over globe on tripod.

References: Crawford 410/8; Sydenham 823; Pomponia 22.

Provenance: Ex William C. Boyd (d. 1906) Collection [Baldwin's 42 (26 Sep 2005), Lot 64]; bought from Spink in 1900.