Gordian III Silver Antoninianus, RIC IV Gordian III 36

Monetary Context and Denominational Setting

During the reign of Gordian III (AD 238 to 244), the Roman monetary system underwent substantial structural shifts, marked particularly by the dominance of the radiate antoninianus over the traditional silver denarius. First introduced by Caracalla in AD 215 as a nominal double-denarius tariffed at two denarii, the denomination had temporarily lapsed before being reintroduced in large volumes under Balbinus and Pupienus in AD 238. Under Gordian III, the antoninianus effectively superseded the denarius as the primary silver denomination for large-scale state expenditures, military disbursements, and imperial distributions. Although theoretical weights originally traced back to around 5.1 grams under Caracalla, antoniniani struck at Rome in AD 240 generally adhered to a reduced weight standard clustering around 4.0 to 4.5 grams, with an intrinsic silver fineness of approximately forty to forty-five percent. The issuance of RIC IV Gordian III 36 was tied directly to state fiscal policy, providing the necessary specie to fund the emperor's second distribution (Liberalitas II) to the populace of Rome. Commemorating the congiarium on the double denarius allowed the regime to reinforce public confidence in both the young ruler and the circulating currency.

Mint Organization and Production at Rome

Production of RIC IV Gordian III 36 was concentrated entirely at the primary imperial mint located in Rome. During the early 240s AD, the Rome mint was organized into distinct workshops, known as officinae, which shared the burden of striking extensive series of imperial antoniniani, denarii, sestertii, and middle bronzes. Unlike later Roman issues that incorporated explicit officina marks in the field or exergue, coins of this emission lack field letters or exergual signatures, reflecting traditional production routines where die engravers operated within administrative divisions without publicizing workshop numbers on the coin faces. The blank flans were cast in open moulds before being struck by paired hand-held dies, resulting in characteristic slight variations in flan thickness, edge cracking, and centering. Die survival studies and hoard data indicate that the Rome mint mobilized multiple obverse and reverse dies for this distribution issue, reflecting an intensive striking period designed to supply newly minted coin for imperial ceremonies and general circulation. The quality of execution in die cutting demonstrates the technical continuity of Rome's master engravers during the early years of Gordian III's reign.

Obverse Design and Portraiture

The obverse of RIC IV Gordian III 36 displays a finely executed right-facing portrait bust of the emperor Gordian III. The emperor is shown radiate, draped, and cuirassed, combining the conventional military cloak (paludamentum) and breastplate with the radiate crown. The radiate crown functioned not only as an attribute of solar divinity connected to Sol, but also as the primary visual denomination marker distinguishing the antoninianus from the laureate denarius. Engravers at the Rome mint captured the youthful features of Gordian III, who ascended the throne as a teenager, rendering his portrait with soft facial modeling, short cropped hair, and large, clear features that contrast with the rugged, soldier-emperor portraits of preceding decades. The drapery folds across the shoulder and the contours of the cuirass are depicted with crisp detailing typical of Rome's high-standard artistic output in AD 240. Variations across surviving dies primarily concern the proportion of drapery visible over the breastplate and minor shifts in the treatment of the hair curls beneath the crown, confirming the work of several contemporary craftsmen working from a common imperial model.

Reverse Iconography and Symbolism

The reverse of this type presents the personification Liberalitas standing draped, facing forward with her head turned to the left. In her right hand, Liberalitas holds aloft an abacus, alternatively described in numismatic literature as a counting board or tessera, which was the instrument utilized by officials during public distributions to calculate and distribute gifts of money or grain. In her left arm, she cradles a cornucopiae, the horn of plenty brimming with the fruits of the earth, symbolizing abundance, prosperity, and the boundless generosity of the state. This allegorical presentation was an established fixture of imperial Roman visual culture, explicitly associating the reigning emperor with traditional virtues of munificence and civic care. By depicting Liberalitas in an active standing posture with her distributing tools, the die design communicated to both literate and illiterate viewers that the imperial house was actively maintaining the welfare of the citizens of Rome. The treatment of the drapery follows classical conventions, hanging in graceful folds around her body, while the cornucopiae emphasizes the material benefits delivered under Gordian III's administration.

Inscriptions and Epigraphy

The inscriptions on RIC IV Gordian III 36 are struck in classical Roman imperial capitals, executed with regular letter spacing and well-cut serifs. The obverse legend reads IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, an abbreviated Latin formula expanding to 'Imperator Caesar Marcus Antonius Gordianus Augustus'. This formula asserts the full titular name of Gordian III, maintaining the dynastic link to his grandfather Gordian I and uncle Gordian II who had led the senatorial rebellion against Maximinus Thrax in AD 238. The reverse legend reads LIBERALITAS AVG II, translating to 'The Imperial Generosity [of the Augustus], for the second time'. The inclusion of the Roman numeral II is critical for dating and typology, distinguishing this coin from Gordian III's first distribution (Liberalitas I) and third distribution (Liberalitas III). The epigraphic execution is remarkably uniform, with clean letter heights that follow the curved inner boundary of the beaded border, exhibiting very few instances of ligature or broken letter forms on authentic specimens produced at the capital.

Typology and Chronological Classification

Within the standard classification established in Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC), this emission is designated as RIC IV Gordian III 36. The type belongs securely to Gordian III's second major striking period at Rome, dated by numismatic consensus to AD 240. The chronology of Gordian III's coin issues is established primarily through parallel dated series that bear tribunician iterations, consulships, and imperatorial acclamations. The second imperial donative coincided with the celebrations of his third tribunician power (TR P III) and the beginning of preparations for his eastern campaigns against the Sasanian Empire. RIC 36 forms an integral element of this second emission phase, running parallel to matching issues struck in the aes series, including sestertii and dupondii with identical reverse legends and iconographic compositions. Numismatists distinguish RIC 36 from neighboring antoninianus types by the combination of the early obverse legend IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG and the second Liberalitas reverse; later issues from AD 241 onwards adopt the shortened obverse legend IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, making the legend formula an essential chronological boundary.

Circulation Patterns and Hoard Contexts

Like most antoniniani produced at Rome during the reign of Gordian III, RIC IV Gordian III 36 saw widespread circulation across both the western and eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. Large quantities were transported to frontier garrisons along the Rhine and Danube frontiers to cover legionary pay and administrative expenses, while substantial numbers remained in Italian and provincial commercial channels. The issue appears regularly in mid-third-century hoard deposits, such as the vast Dorchester and Gibraltar hoards, often displaying moderate to heavy wear consistent with several years to decades of active monetary circulation. Because Gordian III's silver coinage maintained a somewhat higher silver content than the severely debased antoniniani of Gallienus and Claudius II in the 260s AD, specimens of RIC 36 were frequently hoarded during the economic crises of the mid-to-late third century. Consequently, coins of this type survived in notable numbers within mixed hoards, serving as valuable chronological benchmarks for archaeological contexts throughout Roman Europe and the Mediterranean basin.

References

1. The Development of the Roman Coinage in the Third Century AD. pp. 1-24
2. Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700. pp. 125-132
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Gordian III 36. ric.4.gor_iii.36
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part III: Gordian III - Uranius Antoninus. p. 19, no. 36