Gordian III Silver Antoninianus, RIC IV Gordian III 34

Monetary Context

The antoninianus, originally introduced by Caracalla in AD 215 as a tariffed two-denarius piece, experienced a dramatic revival and consolidation under Gordian III. Following its suspension under Severus Alexander and subsequent limited reintroduction under Balbinus and Pupienus in AD 238, Gordian III elevated the antoninianus to the primary silver denomination of the empire. The denarius, while still struck in modest numbers for ceremonial and administrative purposes, was largely supplanted in daily trade and military disbursements by the radiate piece. RIC IV Gordian III 34 exemplifies this standard imperial coinage in AD 240. By this period, the alloy of the antoninianus had fallen to roughly forty to forty-five percent silver, with the remainder composed of copper and minor trace metals. Although officially valued at two denarii, its metallic weight of approximately four to four and a half grams represented a tariffing premium over intrinsic content, generating significant seigniorage profits for the imperial fiscus while funding the heightened logistical and defensive expenditures of the third century AD.

Production and Mints

RIC IV Gordian III 34 was produced exclusively at the primary imperial mint of Rome. Operating across multiple officinae, or workshops, the Rome mint organized Gordian III's coinage into coordinated substantive issues. The manufacture of this type relied on traditional Roman minting practices, involving cast alloy blanks heated and hand-struck between engraved bronze or iron dies. Die axes on these antoniniani show predominantly six o'clock or twelve o'clock alignments, though minor rotational deviations are common due to manual manipulation during striking. The Rome mint achieved high output volumes to sustain imperial distribution networks, leading to slight variations in blank thickness, flan shape, and die engraving details across individual working dies, while consistently maintaining the official iconographic and epigraphic parameters established for the type.

Obverse Design and Portraiture

The obverse of RIC IV Gordian III 34 presents a youthful right-facing bust of Gordian III wearing a radiate crown, draped with a mantle, and outfitted with a cuirass. The radiate crown serves as the formal denomination indicator identifying the coin as an antoninianus or double unit, contrasting with the laureate wreath reserved for the denarius. Gordian III's portraiture on this issue reflects his teenage appearance around the age of fifteen in AD 240, executed in the classicizing naturalistic style favored by Rome engravers early in his reign. The bust captures full facial features, short cropped hair, and meticulously detailed military drapery and armor, projecting an image of juvenile dynastic authority cloaked in traditional imperial dignity.

Reverse Iconography and Personification

The reverse iconography of RIC IV Gordian III 34 depicts the personification Aequitas standing facing the viewer with her head turned toward the left. Clothed in a long flowing stola, she holds a pair of balance scales in her outstretched right hand and cradles a cornucopiae, the horn of plenty, in her left arm. In Roman imperial ideology, Aequitas represented equitable administration, justice, and particularly the fair conduct of the imperial treasury, including the honest distribution of grain and the integrity of the coinage. The juxtaposition of the measuring balance and the horn of abundance conveyed a pledge of fair dealing and material prosperity under the juvenile emperor, serving as programmatic propaganda to reassure soldiers, merchants, and taxpayers of fiscal stability.

Inscriptions and Epigraphy

The inscriptions on RIC IV Gordian III 34 adhere strictly to official early-reign formulas. The obverse legend reads IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, abbreviating Imperator Caesar Marcus Antonius Gordianus Augustus. This extensive titulature incorporates Gordian III's praenomen and nomen inherited from his maternal ancestors, alongside the supreme imperial titles of Imperator and Augustus. The reverse bears the straightforward dedication AEQVITAS AVG, abbreviating Aequitas Augusti, translating to 'The Equity of the Emperor.' The lettering is neatly cut in formal Roman square capitals along the inner perimeter of the beaded border, typical of the disciplined epigraphic standards maintained by the mint of Rome during the early 240s AD.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In the standard reference catalog Roman Imperial Coinage, RIC IV Gordian III 34 is classified within the second main emission of the mint of Rome, firmly dated to AD 240. This placement is confirmed by the evolution of Gordian III's obverse legends. The longer legend IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG was utilized exclusively from the accession in AD 238 through AD 240, after which it was systematically replaced by the more concise formula IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG. Parallel issues carrying the Aequitas reverse type struck with the later shortened obverse legend are cataloged separately under RIC IV Gordian III 63. RIC IV Gordian III 34 thus represents an essential typological benchmark for identifying and ordering Gordian III's earliest antoninianus emissions.

Circulation, Hoards, and Deposition

Antoniniani of type RIC IV Gordian III 34 entered circulation throughout the Roman Empire, carried via troop movements and regional commercial networks. Large numbers of these coins reached the Rhine and Danube frontiers to furnish pay for the legionary garrisons, while also circulating extensively in Italy, Gaul, and the eastern provinces. Due to the rapid decline in silver purity that occurred under subsequent emperors such as Decius, Gallienus, and Claudius Gothicus, Gordian III's antoniniani were frequently hoarded during the 250s and 260s AD as their intrinsic silver content surpassed that of newly issued radiates. Consequently, RIC IV Gordian III 34 appears regularly in third-century coin hoards across Britain, France, Germany, and the Balkans, often showing moderate to heavy wear accumulated over several decades of active circulation.

References

1. The Roman Coinage of A.D. 238-260, in The Numismatic Chronicle. pp. 63-94
2. Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700. pp. 126-135
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Gordian III 34. ric.4.gor_iii.34
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part III: Gordian III to Uranius Antoninus. p. 19, no. 34