★ Extremely fine condition - rare Antiochia issue with a fantastic (portrait) style - rare RIC 182 variant (bust left) - impressive young Gordianus III portrait - nice detailed Fides reverse presentation - full legends at booth sides - full weight and full diameter - magnificant dark brown silver patina color toning ★
Marcus Antonius Gordianus III
Reign: Gordianus III
Mint: Antiochia ad Orontem, Syria
Date: 238/239 AD
Nominal: Antoninianus
Material: Silver
Diameter: 22.5mm
Weight: 4.82g
Pedigree: Ex CGB Numismatique Paris, France
Reference: Cohen -
Reference: Bland 17
Reference: cf. RIC IV Gordian III 182 (bust left)
OCRE Online: numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.4...
Obverse: Bust of Gordian III, radiate, draped, cuirassed, right
Inscription: IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG
Translation: Imperator Caesar Marcus Antonius Gordianus Augustus
Reverse: Fides, draped, standing left, holding standard in right hand
Inscription: FIDES MILITVM
Translation: Fides Militum
Translation: Loyalty of the soldiers
Comment: Marcus Antonius Gordianus (born 20 January 225 AD; died 244 AD), also known as Gordian III, was Roman emperor from 238 to 244 AD. The names of his parents in the late antique Historia Augusta are fictitious. It is very likely that his mother Antonia Gordiana was a daughter of Gordian I and thus a sister of Gordian II. Probably in May 241 AD he married Furia Sabinia Tranquillina, daughter of his later praetorian prefect Gaius Furius Sabinus Aquila Timesitheus. Denarii with Diana Lucifera on the reverse were minted on the occasion of this marriage. The marriage remained childless. Gordian III probably died in February 244 AD. We have different versions in the sources about both the place and the exact circumstances of his death, so that it remains open whether he died in battle with the Persians or at the hands of his own soldiers. Possibly he was already on his way back outside Persian territory when he fell victim to a mutiny of the soldiers. It is often assumed that Philip Arabs, out of his own desire for power, at least worked to discredit Gordian III among the army, if not was directly responsible for his murder, but this is disputed. The Persian account, according to which Gordian fell during (or as a result of) the Battle of Mesiche, is considered by several scholars to be quite credible, especially since later Byzantine sources (such as John Zonaras), which could draw on older material, do not point to an assassination of the emperor either.
The eastern mint at Antioch presents a fascinating study of the coiange of Gordian III by itself. The mint at Viminacium was established during the first years of Gordian III's reign and was originally thought to be the source of these coins. Later studies placed the mint at Antioch. Production was halted from AD 240 to sometime in AD 242 when the Persians invaded the region. No direct evidence exists as to whether Antioch was captured during the early stages of the invasion or was temporarily closed as a precaution. The fact that Persian history makes no mention of the capture of Antioch during this campaign suggests the mint was closed by the Romans. Production was resumed after the Roman Army routed the Persians at Rasaina and the Romans regained control of the region.The coins from Antioch can be challenging to identify. Some are readily identifiable from their Rome mint counterparts by style or combination of obverse and reverse legends. Others, even the experts sometimes disagree on (Source: gordianiiirpc.ancients.info/g....
Негізгі бет GORDIANUS III, cf. RIC 182, Date 238-239 AD, Silver Antoninianus Antiochia, Fides Militum
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