Denier De Gordian III “diana Lvcifera” — Certificate Of Authenticity

Analysis & Expertise
Silver denarius of Gordian III, attributed to the Rome mint and commonly dated to issues around AD 241, a piece particularly valued by collectors for the clarity of its iconographic program: on the obverse, the titulature IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG accompanies a laureate, draped, and cuirassed portrait seen from behind, while the reverse develops the formula DIANA LVCIFERA with Diana standing and holding a long torch set transversely, a typological ensemble classified as RIC IV.III 127 and consistently repeated in the standard reference repertories and catalogues.

Each specimen is examined, described, and supplied with a certificate of authenticity in accordance with the standards of the art and heritage market; identification is presented on the basis of strictly observable elements—legends, attributes, layout—and bibliographic concordances, so that the purchaser may appreciate the object with calm, fully informed confidence.

Close observation under ×10 magnification and raking light: direct examination highlights a denarius flan with a naturally irregular edge, showing striking fissures and small peripheral breaks consistent with the mechanical constraints of hammer striking; the determining elements nonetheless remain legible and structured, as the laurel wreath retains its ordering, the imperial profile preserves its essential volumes, and, on the reverse, Diana’s silhouette is clearly organized around the long transverse torch held in both hands, the key distinguishing marker of the Lucifera variant, allowing a coherent and firmly supported attribution to the type catalogued as RIC 127.

Characteristics
Authority / period: Gordian III (238–244), type commonly placed around 241 in catalogues and comparanda.

Mint: Rome.

Denomination / metal: Denarius (AR).

Diameter / weight / axis: 19 mm; 3.71 g; 12 h (specimen data).

Obverse: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind, in accordance with the type description.

Reverse: DIANA LVCIFERA, Diana standing, holding a long transverse torch; typology described under the same reference concordances.

Reference: RIC IV.III 127; correspondences also frequently given with RSC 69 in collectors’ repertories and specialist dealers’ catalogues.

Historical context
The presence of Diana Lucifera, “bearer of light,” belongs to the third-century monetary rhetoric that mobilizes protective deities to establish, around the image of the prince, an atmosphere of stability and favorable omen; the torch is here the decisive attribute—immediately intelligible—through which the divine figure signals guidance, vigilance, and safety, themes recurrently encountered in Gordian III’s issues.

Cultural value
This denarius draws attention because it combines, in an elegant and highly collectible format, an expressive imperial portrait with a reverse of rare symbolic clarity; the transverse torch gives the composition a distinctive graphic force, so that the specimen suits both a “Gordian III” collection and a thematic set devoted to deities, personifications, and the visual language of Roman power, where the iconography carries value as much as art as it does as document.

Traceability & guarantees
The provenance is European, from an established numismatic dealer, and the acquisition was carried out through a specialized international transaction conducted within a recognized numismatic network, in accordance with the standards of the art and heritage market; attribution rests on the verifiable concordance of the legends and the DIANA LVCIFERA type with the published references RIC 127 and their consistent reiterations in numismatic catalogues.

Each specimen is examined, described, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity in accordance with the standards of the art and heritage market, in order to ensure clear transfer, secure traceability, and a presentation aligned with the expectations of discerning collectors.