Balbinus. AD 238. Æ Sestertius (30.5mm, 22.00 g, 1h). Rome mint. 1st emission, 22 April-29 July. Near EF.

CNG Feature Auction 132
Lot: 824. Estimated: $ 1 500

Roman Imperial, Bronze, Coin-in-Hand Video

Sold For $ 1 800. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Balbinus. AD 238. Æ Sestertius (30.5mm, 22.00 g, 1h). Rome mint. 1st emission, 22 April-29 July. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Concordia, draped, seated left on throne, holding patera in outstretched hand and double cornucopia. RIC IV 22; BMCRE 18-21; Banti 1. Dark brown and green patina. Near EF. A wonderful coin in hand.

From the Gasvoda Collection. Ex Wayne Scheible Collection (Triton XXVII, 9 January 2024), lot 837, purchased from Harlan J. Berk, Ltd.

With the deaths of the Gordians in Carthage, the Roman Senate faced a difficult situation. A vengeful Maximinus was headed to Rome (for the first time in his reign), and there was no center of opposition to his onslaught. The desperate senators called upon two of their number, Balbinus and Pupienus, to become joint emperors in the face of the threat, with Balbinus to organize Rome, while Pupienus marched out to confront Maximinus. Whether the two inexperienced emperors could have successfully met the challenge would never be known, because Maximinus was assassinated by his own troops before Aquileia in early April. The victory of the two emperors would be short-lived; they fell to bickering, and on 29 April disgusted Praetorian guards dragged them out of the palace and murdered them. Their replacement was the young Caesar, Gordian, nephew of Gordian II. In the space of a few short months the Roman Empire had been ruled by a barbarian giant, an elderly provincial governor and his headstrong son, two incompetent senators, and a thirteen year old boy.

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 132 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 18-19 May 2026.

CNG Feature Auction 132 – Session Three – Lot 588-888 will be held Tuesday morning, 19 May 2026 beginning at 9:00 AM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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