Gordian III Silver Antoninianus RIC IV Gordian III 35

Monetary Context and the Third-Century Double Denarius

The antoninianus, or radiate double denarius, stood at the center of Roman imperial currency during the reign of Gordian III (AD 238 to 244). When first introduced by Caracalla in AD 215, the radiate denomination was intended to pass tariffed at two denarii while containing approximately one and a half denarii worth of fine silver, generating a state-sanctioned fiduciary profit. Under Gordian III, following an abrupt cessation of regular silver denarius striking in AD 238, the antoninianus decisively superseded the denarius as the imperial administration's primary coin for paying legions, funding bureaucratic salaries, and meeting state expenditures. The issue of RIC IV Gordian III 35 falls in AD 240, a year marked by continuing fiscal adjustments and consolidation following the turbulent civil wars of AD 238. In this economic environment, billon coinage experienced subtle yet relentless debasement. While the denarius virtually vanished from active mintage, the Rome mint struck radiate antoniniani in massive quantities. These coins retained sufficient silver fineness, typically forty to forty-five percent fine, to function as viable specie across both domestic and frontier market economies.

Production Standards and Rome Mint Operations

RIC IV Gordian III 35 was manufactured exclusively at the primary imperial mint in Rome. In the early 240s AD, the Rome mint was organized into several functional officinae, or workshops, traditionally identified as six distinct production lines tasked with turning out standardized series of precious and base metal coins. Blanks for the antoniniani were cast in round molds before being hammered between intaglio-engraved iron or bronze dies. The weight standard for Gordian III's radiates at this time targeted approximately 4.0 to 4.5 grams, although surviving pieces exhibit broader variations, frequently ranging from 3.5 to over 5.0 grams due to the Roman practice of striking al marco (striking a specific number of coins from a set pound of metal rather than individually balancing each flan). Die alignment typically adhered to either an upright or inverted orientation (six o'clock or twelve o'clock). Flans for RIC IV Gordian III 35 were generally broad and slightly irregular, occasionally exhibiting file marks or flan cracks generated by the force of hand-hammered striking upon heated planchets.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Titulature

The obverse of RIC IV Gordian III 35 portrays the radiate bust of Gordian III facing right, rendered in a naturalistic portrait style characteristic of Rome mint die engravers during the initial years of his sole rule. The bust is systematically depicted with both drapery and a cuirass, presenting the adolescent emperor simultaneously in civic attire and military armor. The radiate crown encircling the emperor's short-cropped hair serves as the denomination's hallmark, signifying the double denarius denomination in accordance with Roman numismatic conventions first established in the Severan period. The portrait captures the adolescent features of the emperor, who ascended the throne as a teenager, but stylizes his gaze with firm imperial authority. The die cutters at Rome rendered the drapery folds over the chest and the pteruges of the cuirass on the shoulder with precise, crisp engraving, reflecting high technical competence at the capital's central facility during AD 240.

Reverse Iconography: Concordia and Imperial Harmony

The reverse of RIC IV Gordian III 35 depicts Concordia, the Roman divine personification of mutual concord and agreement, seated facing left upon an ornate imperial throne. Draped in a long stola that cascades to her feet, Concordia extends a patera in her right hand, holding a double cornucopiae cradled along her left arm. The patera, a shallow libation dish used in Roman state religion, symbolizes pious sacrificial offerings and the divine sanction that bound the state together. The double cornucopiae reinforces this message by promising prosperity, plentiful harvests, and the material benefits that naturally flow from unified governance. In the immediate political landscape of AD 240, this design conveyed a pointed ideological message. Having survived the violent dynastic ruptures of the year of the six emperors (AD 238) and faced with brewing revolts such as that of Sabinianus in Africa, the imperial court employed Concordia to broadcast an image of internal harmony between the young emperor, the Senate, and the praetorian guard.

Epigraphy and Legend Structure

The epigraphy of RIC IV Gordian III 35 reflects the transitional phase of the emperor's official public titles. The obverse legend reads IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, beginning in the lower left field and sweeping clockwise along the beaded rim. This formula translates to 'Imperator Caesar Marcus Antonius Gordianus Augustus', affirming the full patrician nomenclature of the imperial line and honoring his predecessors Gordian I and Gordian II. Notably, this legend lacks the twin epithets Pius Felix, which became a permanent fixture of later emissions. The reverse bears the straightforward legend CONCORDIA AVG, standing for 'Concordia Augusti' (The Concord of the Augustus). The lettering on both faces is characterized by well-formed, seriffed capital letters characteristic of third-century Roman lapidary and numismatic practice. There are no mintmarks or officina indicators in the fields or exergue, as workshop differentiation marks had not yet become standard practice on Roman antoniniani.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In the structural framework of Roman Imperial Coinage, RIC IV Gordian III 35 is classified within the second part of Gordian III's reign under the Rome mint issues bearing the earliest long obverse legend (IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG). Scholarly studies by modern numismatists, notably Roger Bland, assign this type specifically to the fourth emission of the Rome mint, datable to early-to-mid AD 240. The Concordia reverse had appeared earlier in Gordian III's reign, both during his brief tenure as Caesar under Pupienus and Balbinus in AD 238 and in the first months of his sole reign. However, RIC IV Gordian III 35 is differentiated from those earlier strikings by its specific combination of the seated Concordia with double cornucopiae and the IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG legend. When the Rome mint altered its standard obverse formula to IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG later in AD 240, the Concordia seated reverse was replaced or modified in subsequent emissions, firmly anchoring this specific catalogued type to this narrow chronological window.

Circulation, Hoard Evidence, and Economic Role

RIC IV Gordian III 35 circulated extensively across the Roman world. Because antoniniani of Gordian III were struck in unprecedented volumes to support military campaigns and provincial administration, this type frequently appears in mid-to-late third-century coin hoards throughout Britain, Gaul, the Rhine frontier, and the Danubian provinces. Notable deposits, such as the Cunetio hoard and the Dorchester hoard, demonstrate that Gordian III's radiates remained in active circulation for decades after his death, mixing freely with later issues of Philip I, Trajan Decius, and Trebonianus Gallus. As the silver content of imperial coinage deteriorated dramatically under Valerian and Gallienus during the 250s and 260s AD, earlier antoniniani like RIC IV Gordian III 35 were selectively hoarded due to their comparatively higher silver purity (Gresham's Law). Consequently, many examples survived in high grades of preservation within buried coin vessels before recovery by modern archaeological excavations.

References

1. The Silver Coinage of Gordian III: Problems of Chronology and Organisation. pp. 63-78
2. Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700. pp. 128-132
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Gordian III 35. RIC IV Gordian III 35
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part III: Gordian III - Uranius Antoninus. p. 19, no. 35