Gordian III. AD 238-244. AV Aureus (19.5mm, 4.85 g, 6h). Rome mint, 6th officina. 7th emission, mid AD 240. Good VF.

CNG Feature Auction 132
Lot: 826. Estimated: $ 2 500

Roman Imperial, Coin-in-Hand Video, Gold

Sold For $ 4 500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Gordian III. AD 238-244. AV Aureus (19.5mm, 4.85 g, 6h). Rome mint, 6th officina. 7th emission, mid AD 240. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Gordian on horseback riding left, raising hand and holding transverse scepter. RIC IV 80 (same dies as illustration on pl. 2); Calicó 3220; Biaggi –; Mazzini –. Toned, light hairlines. Good VF. Rare.

Gordian III’s six year reign was period of relative tranquility in the turbulent mid-third century AD. He was the grandson of Gordian I Africanus, patriarch of an immensely wealthy and influential family, who in AD 238 was proclaimed emperor in revolt against the cruel Maximinus I Thrax. The regime collapsed almost immediately, and, through an improbable series of events, the 13-year-old Gordian III was eventually saluted as emperor, the only one of AD 238’s six Roman rulers to survive the year. Due to his youth, he was at first dominated by his mother and a board of senators, who had to walk a tightrope to avoid the fate of previous short-lived regimes. In AD 241, Gordian appointed as Praetorian Prefect the capable Timesitheus, whose daughter Tranquillina became his bride. Timesitheus became a beneficent mentor who kept Gordian’s weak government on an even keel. But in the same year, the Sasanian Persians under Shapur I crossed Rome’s desert frontier and threatened Antioch, forcing young Gordian to take up arms. His army engaged Shapur at Rhesaena in Syria and won a signal victory early in AD 243. But the death of Timesitheus that winter brought Roman progress to a grinding halt. Supplies dwindled, and the new prefect, Philip, blamed the shortage on Gordian’s incompetence. The soldiers grew rebellious. Gordian reportedly offered to abdicate in Philip’s favor, but Philip instead simply seized the throne and had Gordian quietly murdered early in AD 244. Gordian’s youth and gentle nature had proven unsuited to the demands of hard times.

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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