1966.59

Antoninianus of Gordianus III

4.196 g. AD 242-244

Obv.: Bust of Gordian III r., radiate, cuirassed, hair close-cropped. IMP(erator) GORDIANVS PIVS FẸḶ(ix) AVG(ustus).

Rev.: Sol standing l., naked except for cloak over left arm, with globe in left hand and right hand raised. ORIENS AVG(ustus).

Gordian III became emperor in AD 238 after a series of ‘senatorial’ emperors had been proclaimed in that year to succeed Maximinus. It was the Praetorian Guard that made Gordian emperor. He was only thirteen years of age (hence lack of beard on earlier coins — it was beginning to appear on coins from AD 242). See Breglia 184-186 on portraiture of Gordian III.

In AD 243 Gordian repelled the Persian invasion of Syria. This coin was struck at the Antioch mint, and the emperor’s presence in the East made the Antioch coins of this time closer to Roman style than earlier ones of this reign had been. The reverse type of the Sun-god (Sol) is specially appropriate to the East. Gordian was murdered in the East in AD 244.

The antoninianus, introduced by Caracalla, became the most common Roman silver coin from this time on. They are easily recognised because they are often a little larger than the denarius and the emperor wears a radiate crown. Although they are classed as silver coins the silver content was drastically reduced over the third century and eventually the antoninianus became a silver dipped base metal coin. The silver denarius was largely replaced by the time of Gallienus in the mid third century.

Sear, D.R., Roman Coins and their Values 5 vols (London, Spink, 2000-2014) 8626; Seaby, H.A., Roman Silver Coins (London, B.A. Seaby, 1967) IV 167;Mattingly, H., E.A. Sydenham, C.H. Sutherland, R.A. Carson, The Roman Imperial Coinage 13 vols (London,  Spink, 1923-1994) IV Part.3 p.37  213; Robertson, A. Roman Imperial Coins in the Hunter Coin Cabinet, University of Glasgow 5 vols (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1962-1982) III 211 no. 167.