Gordian III Ric 37 — Certificate Of Authenticity

This silver antoninianus of Gordian III, struck at Rome at the very beginning of AD 240, is very clearly attributable to RIC IV.3, 37, characterized by the obverse IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG and the reverse P M TR P II COS P P, where the emperor, veiled and toga-clad, performs a sacrifice before a lighted altar; the specimen presented here, at 4.16 g, 24 mm, and with an axis of 12 h, fits very favorably within the material range published for this issue, Numista giving for the type a benchmark of 4.3 g and 23 mm, with observed variations of 3.545 to 5.319 g and 22 to 25 mm, while specialized comparanda place this emission precisely within the sequence January to March 240. Each specimen is examined, described, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity in accordance with the standards of the art and heritage market.

Analysis & Expertise
Close observation under ×10 magnification and raking light. The obverse shows a radiate portrait of Gordian III of particularly satisfying visual quality, whose facial structure remains very legible, with a regular forehead, a widely open eye, a frank nasal line, a clearly drawn mouth, and a youthful chin still well held, while the hair develops in tight locks beneath a very distinct radiate crown whose rays retain strong graphic presence; the bust, both draped and cuirassed, remains very clearly articulated in the shoulder and upper chest, and the obverse titulature reads with remarkable breadth, giving the whole a particularly convincing cabinet presence for an early antoninianus of this reign. The canonical obverse definition for RIC 37 corresponds exactly to this scheme of a radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right.

The reverse retains doctrinal legibility of great interest, since one readily recognizes the emperor veiled and toga-clad, standing frontally with head turned left, sacrificing with a patera above a lighted altar while holding a ritual wand in the left hand; the calm verticality of the imperial figure, the clear presence of the altar, the clarity of the attributes, and the layout of the legend P M TR P II COS P P match precisely the reference description published for the type. This iconography is particularly interesting because it is not merely a general devotional scene, but a formally coded representation of imperial pietas in the exercise of public rite.

Material examination reveals a broad flan of irregular round shape, fully consistent with hammer striking, with an edge that is supple yet well stabilized, a border still largely traceable, and a silver surface that preserves very fine relief on the high points of both portrait and reverse; the whole gives a very secure impression of technical and stylistic coherence, all the more appreciable since this group of early-240 antoniniani requires, to be fully read, a certain freshness of relief and good preservation of legends—two qualities clearly present here. Numista notes precisely, for this number, the hammer-struck technique and the irregular round shape.

What favorably distinguishes this specimen, in the eyes of the knowledgeable collector, is the combination of an energetic radiate portrait, a very readable obverse titulature, a sacrificial reverse fully intelligible in its economy, and solid metrology, the piece sitting in the right zone for the type, with a diameter above the published nominal benchmark and a perfectly coherent weight; it is a well-identified and seriously followed number, Numista assigning it a rarity index of 86, which allows it to be presented with justification as a sought-after type, without departing from a methodically grounded assessment.

Characteristics
The object is defined as an antoninianus of Gordian III, struck at Rome, in silver, in AD 240, more precisely within the initial sequence of the year as retained by specialized comparanda for the RIC 37 type; it shows a weight of 4.16 g, a diameter of 24 mm, and an axis of 12 h, with on the obverse IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, and on the reverse P M TR P II COS P P, Gordian III veiled and toga-clad, standing frontally with head left, sacrificing with a patera over a lighted altar and holding a wand. The principal attribution is to RIC IV.3, 37, with concordance RSC 210, and specialized specimens published under this reference show very similar measurements, notably 4.86 g, 4.87 g, or 4.16 g for diameters between 23 and 24 mm, confirming the coin’s very strong metrological integration within its group.

Historical context
This issue belongs to the initial phase of Gordian III’s personal reign, as the young emperor—raised to the throne in 238—consolidates his public image in 240 through coinage in which the imperial titulature, now stabilized with TR P II, is paired with strongly codified religious types; the reverse sacrificial scene must be understood as a direct formulation of imperial pietas, that is, the prince’s capacity to present himself as the visible mediator between the Roman civic community and the divine order. Typological documentation places this number unanimously in AD 240, and specialized comparanda situate it at the very beginning of that year.

In this perspective, the reverse P M TR P II COS P P gains particular density, since it does not merely state dignities: it stages, with great economy of means, the holder of these powers in the very act of sacrifice, giving the coin strong institutional force. The type thus differs from later antoniniani of the reign by its still inaugural character, the sobriety of its conception, and the clarity with which it articulates titulature, rite, and imperial representation.

Cultural value
The cultural interest of this coin is high, because it condenses, within a third-century emblematic denomination, a highly legible youthful imperial portrait, an explicit ritual scene, and a tightly circumscribed dating, allowing the collector to grasp—within a single object—a particularly clear expression of the religious and institutional propaganda of the beginning of Gordian III’s reign. It is not merely a circulating antoninianus, but a numismatic document in which the image of power is formulated through the rite itself.

For a cabinet devoted to early antoniniani, Roman religious issues, or the first series of Gordian III, this specimen has specific appeal, because it preserves both very good legend legibility, a reverse scene complete in its concept, and a harmonious metallic presence; it is precisely this conjunction of reading quality, material coherence, and historical density that grounds the type’s real desirability among a knowledgeable audience.

Traceability & Guarantees
From a European provenance, from an established numismatic dealer, this specimen was acquired through a specialized international transaction conducted within a recognized numismatic network and validated by reference experts, according to the highest standards of the art and heritage market; examination of the present object retains exclusively the stylistic, technical, epigraphic, and metrological characteristics effectively observable, set within the framework of the Roman type Gordian III / RIC 37 / sacrifice at the altar, and compared against corpus references and specialized comparanda. The concordance between the obverse IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, the sacrificial reverse P M TR P II COS P P, the Rome mint, the chronological window of AD 240, the observed metrology, and the attribution to RIC IV.3, 37 establishes here a particularly solid numismatic attribution, formulated within a framework of strict descriptive exactitude and fully suited to a knowledgeable collecting audience.