Gordian III — Victoria Aeterna — Certificate Of Authenticity

Bronze sestertius of Gordian III, attributed to the mint of Rome, whose typology is fully and verifiably connected to the VICTORIA AETERNA / S-C group classified as RIC 338a, with an obverse bearing the titulature IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG and a reverse on which Victory stands, combining the palm branch and shield with the presence of a captive depicted at her feet. The whole forms a stable composition, abundantly documented and readily verifiable through comparison with published references and comparanda.

Careful observation under ×10 magnification and raking light: the specimen presents a broad sestertius flan, naturally irregular at the edge, with peripheral beading clearly legible over long sections, and a dark, even patina enhancing the reliefs. Typological readability remains particularly comfortable, since the laureate, draped, and cuirassed portrait preserves its essential volumes (wreath, hair, profile, shoulder drapery), while the reverse clearly reveals Victory and her attributes, the S and C placed in the field, as well as the figure of the captive beneath the shield. This set of material and iconographic indicators is sufficient to anchor identification in directly observable elements.

Each specimen is examined, described, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity in accordance with the standards of the art and heritage market. This notice is deliberately based on characteristics verifiable through observation and reference documentation, so that the collector’s confidence may rest on a verifiable foundation.

Authority: Gordian III (AD 238–244).
Mint: Rome.
Denomination / metal: Sestertius, bronze (Æ).
Weight / diameter: 23.32 g; 31 mm (specimen data).
Obverse: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right.
Reverse: VICTORIA AETERNA, S-C in the field; Victory standing, with palm branch and shield; captive depicted below the shield.
Reference: RIC 338a.

The VICTORIA AETERNA reverse belongs to the political vocabulary through which the Empire asserted, amid the military tensions of the 3rd century, the idea of enduring and ordering victory. Victory and the captive together articulate a visual rhetoric that is immediately intelligible, while the mention S-C recalls the senatorial framework of imperial bronze coinage—a sign of a currency that remains, both in form and in message, an instrument of institutional representation.

For the collector, this sestertius brings together three particularly desirable qualities: a large bronze module with undeniable cabinet presence, an imperial portrait of immediate identification, and a reverse with clear narrative content in which Victory, the palm, the shield, and the captive compose a scene “readable at a glance.” It is therefore a natural milestone for a collection devoted to Gordian III, to large-format Roman bronzes, or to victorious propaganda types of the period.

The provenance is European, from an established numismatic dealer, and the acquisition was carried out through a specialized international transaction within a recognized numismatic network, according to the highest standards of the art and heritage market. The attribution rests on the concordance of the legends and figural arrangement with RIC 338a, as consistently recorded and described in numismatic databases and auction archives.

Each specimen is examined, described, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity in accordance with the standards of the art and heritage market, so that the buyer has at their disposal a clear, traceable documentary framework consistent with professional practice.