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RIC IV Gordian I 12

DocumentedSupported by at least one credible specialist source.

Record status

Individual type · research required

Period

AD 238

Issuing entity

Roman Empire

Maker / issuer

Rome (ancient mint)

Sestertius in bronze struck at Rome under Gordian I, AD 238, catalogued as RIC IV Gordian I 12. Obverse: Bust of Gordian I, laureate, draped, cuirassed, right. Reverse: Victory, winged, draped, advancing left, holding wreath in extended right hand and holding palm in left hand.

Obverse legend: IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AFR AVG. Reverse legend: VICTORIA AVGG S C.

Evidence at a glance

Linked sources
2
Photograph views
4
Catalogue references
1

Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.

Historical context

Gordian I (Marcus Antonius Gordianus Sempronianus Romanus) served as Roman emperor alongside his son Gordian II in AD 238 during the Year of the Six Emperors. Caught up in a rebellion against Emperor Maximinus Thrax, he was defeated in battle and committed suicide following the death of his son, leaving him with the second shortest reign in imperial history at only 22 days. This sestertius, struck at Rome, represents the denomination that had originated in the Roman Republic as a small silver coin before becoming a large brass coin under the Roman Empire.

Physical characteristics

Material
Bronze
Manufacture
Struck
Denomination
Sestertius

Technical characteristics

Mint
Rome
Issuing authority
Gordian I

Design

Obverse type
Bust of Gordian I, laureate, draped, cuirassed, right
Reverse type
Victory, winged, draped, advancing left, holding wreath in extended right hand and holding palm in left hand
Obverse legend
IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AFR AVG
Reverse legend
VICTORIA AVGG S C

Identification

How to identify
RIC separates types by mint and officina marks, obverse legend and bust form, and reverse legend and type; check the exergue and field marks against the RIC number before accepting a match.
Type corpus record
https://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.4.gor_i.12
Catalogue reference
RIC IV Gordian I 12
Type corpus identifier
ric.4.gor_i.12
Source note
The type record is Online Coins of the Roman Empire (OCRE), the American Numismatic Society's digital edition of Roman Imperial Coinage.

Documentation checklist

Denomination
Recorded
Issue or mint date
Recorded
Material
Recorded
Weight
Research required
Mint or printer
Recorded
Mint or printer mark
Research required
Catalogue reference
Recorded
Attached photograph (check rights)
Recorded

Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.

Catalogue references

Research required

  • Nominal weight not transcribed from a primary reference
  • Diameter and die axis not transcribed
  • Mint mark and officina detail not transcribed
  • No rights-cleared photograph identified yet
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