Silver Antoninianus Of Gordian III RIC 152

AR Antoninianus (21mm 3.14g) Struck AD 240-244 Rome

Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG Radiate draped bust right

Rev: SECVRIT PERPET Securitas, standing left, with scepter, leaning against column

RIC 152, Sear 8621
ex. Bill Roth

The Front (Obverse): Meet the Emperor

On the front, you see a portrait of the young emperor, Gordian III. He actually became emperor when he was only 13 years old!

• The Crown: He is wearing a radiate crown (a crown with pointy sun rays). In Roman currency, this was a helpful code: it automatically let people know this coin was an Antoninianus (a double-denarius), worth two standard silver coins.
• The Text: The Latin inscription reads IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG.
  • Translated: "Imperator Gordian, Pious, Fortunate, Augustus."
  • The Message: This was pure political branding. By calling himself "Pious" (dutiful) and "Fortunate" (blessed by the gods), a very young emperor was telling a chaotic empire, "Don't worry, I've got this, and the gods are on my side!"

The Back (Reverse): Peace of Mind

The back of the coin is where the true propaganda happens. It features a personification of an idea rather than a real person.

• The Image: You see Securitas, the Roman goddess of security and stability. She is standing casually, holding a scepter, and leaning against a stone column.
  • The Cool Detail: Her relaxed pose—leaning on the pillar—was deliberate ancient symbolism. It literally meant "we can lean back and relax because the empire is rock-solid."
• The Text: The inscription reads SECVRIT PERPET, which is short for Securitas Perpetua.
  • Translated: "Perpetual Security" or "Forever Stable."

The Big Picture: Why this matters

To fully appreciate this coin, you have to look at when it was made. Gordian III ruled during the Crisis of the Third Century, a chaotic 50-year period where Rome suffered from civil wars, economic collapse, and endless barbarian invasions. Emperors were being assassinated left and right.

By stamping millions of these silver coins with a message of "Forever Stable" and showing a goddess looking completely relaxed, the teenage emperor was trying to project calm across the empire. It was ancient PR at its finest: even if things were messy in reality, the money in your pocket promised that everything was going to be just fine!