Michael Grant, A Guide to the Ancient World (Barnes&Noble: 1997)
The provincial part of this collection is a bit chaotic. References are incomplete and the coinage is extensive. I had originally decided to put together as nearly a complete collection of Gordian III provincial as possible. However, since I began collecting these coins I realized this will be a life long undertaking. I have begun to keep a catalog of coins I do not have. However, copyright prevents me from posting the images of these coins on the net. Please feel free to contact me for a question.
As a first step, I intend to cover all of the major provinces that minted coins for Gordian III. Most of the provincial coins currently available on the market (and especially on eBay) come from Southeastern Europe. By looking at the following the map, you can see that most of the provinical coins come from the area in and around modern day Bulgaria, that is Thrace and Moesia Inferior. As you will see, I too have many coins from this region. The source of this map is
Michael Grant, A Guide to the Ancient World (Barnes&Noble: 1997)
Provincial coins generally did not travel far from their city of origin which is genernally denoted on the reverse. However, some cities have common obverses which suggest that either the die makers traveled from city to city or cities have common mints.
In order to help with the identification I have begun to add the Greek inscriptions. Most, but not all, provincial coins denote the city of origin by the use of an ethnic, the name of the city in the genitive plural. For example, ADRIANOPOLEITWN means, "Of the people of the city of Hadrianopolis." These ethnics follow no standard rule and may vary even within the same city.
As a aid to those interested in attributing their own provincials I have begun a tips page:
Provincial Tips
All provinces with a representative coin can be clicked. An asterik follows those cities currently represented in the collection.
All Roman colonies are designated as(R). These cities used Roman script.
MACEDON Autonomous * Amphipolis * Dium (R) Edessa * Pella (R) * Thessalonica * MOESIA SUPERIOR. Viminacium (R) * MOESIA INFERIOR. Callatis * Dionysopolis * Istrus * Marcianopolis * Nicopolis ad Istrum * Tomis * THRACE. Anchialus * Deultum(R) * Hadrianopolis * Mesembria * Odessus * Perinthus (R) * Coela * PELOP0NNESUS. Argos ARGEIWN CYCLADES. Siphnos CIFNIWN PONTUS. Amisus Neocaesarea NEOKAICAPIAC * Unlisted SNG COP AE29 Prizecrown on table
AE 30 SNG Cop (check) Prize crown
Trapezus PAPHLAGONIA. Amastris AMACTRIANWN AE 27 Marcus Aurelius BMC --, SNG Cop -- Asclepius stg r. Counterstamp:
GOR portrait bust of Gordian IIIIonopolis IWNOPOLEITWN Sinope BITHYNIA. Apameia (R) Caesara Germanica Calchedon Cius Heraclea Pontica * Juliopolis Nicaea * Nicomedia * Prusias ad Hypium Tium MYSIA. Adramyteum COP -- AE27 Tyche stg. l. with cornucopia and patera AE 27 (9.9g 12)
Appolonia ad Rhyndacum Cyzicus Miletopolis * AE 31 (10 specimens known) Artmis huntress stg r.
Parium Pergamum COP -- AE25 Tyche stg. l. with cornucopia and holding rudder
Pergamum and Nicomedia in alliance TROAS Alexandria Troas (R) * COP -- AE 19 Apollo Smintheus stg. holding bow and patera
Illium
AE 19 2.95g --- goddess stg. r., holding sceptre and amphora(?)
AEOLIS Cyme Elaea Temnus * COP 268-272 Bust of Roman senate r. AE25 Two Nemeses face to face
IONIA Colophon Ephesus Ephesus and Alexandria in alliance Magnesia ad Maeandrum Metropolis AE 28 SNG Cop 926 Hero and Boule joining hands
Miletus Phocaea Smyrna * SNG von Aulock 2230, BMC 445 Harakles stg facing AE 21 3.80g 6:30
Smyrna and Perinthus in alliance * BMC 487 AE 30 Amazon of Smyrna shaking hands with Tyche of Perinthus
Smyrna and Asia in alliance ISLANDS OF IONIA. Samos CARIA Antioch ad Meander von Aulock 2428 Ae 30 River god Meander recombent l.
Aphrodisias Bargylia von Aulock -- Ae 33 Asclepius stg r.
Halicarnassus Harpasa Mylasa Neapolis ad Harpasum
LYDIA Acrasus Dioshieron * Germe * Hypaepa * Magnesia ad Melandrum * Magnesia ad Sipylum * Mastaura * Nysa Philadelphia Philadelphia in Alliance with Smyrna * Saitta Sardes * Thyatira and Smyrna, in alliance * Tralles Tralles and Smyrna, in alliance Tripolis *
PHRYGIA Accilaeum Acmoneia * Alia * Apameia Bruzus * Cadi * Cibrya * Docimeium Doryleum Eucarpeia Hadrianopolis Sebaste Lysias * Midaeum Nacoleia Ococleia * Philoelium Prymnessus Sebastes * Synnada * Tiberiopolis * Trajanopolis LYCIA Acalissus Antiphellus * Aperlae Arneae Arycanda Choma Corydalia Cyane * Limyra * Myra Olympus Patara * Phaselis * Phellus Podalia Rhodiapolis Tlos * Trebenna * PAMPHYLIA Aspendus *
AE 31 BMC 93 Laurel hd. r., ctmkd(How 333), Ethnic within pine wreath
Attalea * Ae 26 Athena stg l.
Perga * SNG von Aulock 4696 AE 25 Nike stg l. on globe
Perga and Side, in alliance Side * SNG Paris 853, S2526 AE 24 Athena stg. facing, hd. l.
AE 32 Lindgren 1166(this coin) Athena stg. l., ctmkd E
Sillyum
AE 24 Pau 3998 Tyche stg. l.
PISIDIA Antiochia * Baris *
AE 26 von Aulock, Pisidia 297 Zeus std l.
Colbasa *
AE 14 (unique) Tyche stg l. holding cornucopiae and rudder
Cremna * AE 25 von Aulock 5105 Isis stg. l.
Prostanna Saraglassus Ae 27 Men stg. l. Wicker basket
Seleuceia Selge Ae 25 Asclepius and Hygeia stg. vis a vis
LYCAONIA Iconium * AE 28 Concordia std l
CILICIA. Anazarbus Casae Celendris Coycus Epiphaneia Irenopolis Laertes * Lyrbe * Seleuceia ad Calycadnum * Soli-Pompeiopolis * Tarsus CAPPADOCIA Caesarea * COP308v (different year) AE28 Mt. Argaeus on altar, ETS in ex.
COP --- Six corn ears bound together AE21 (5.8g 12)
AE 27 COP 310 ctmkd hd of helios, Agulma of Mt. Argeus, ENT below, yr. 6
SYRIA:SELEUCIS and PIERIA. Antiochia ad Orontem * billon tetradrachm Prieur 295, GIC 3779 Eagle facing, hd l.
SYRIA:COELE-SYRIA. Leucas on the Chrysoroas * COP -- AE 20 Quadriga front
SYRIA:DECAPOLIS. Gadara * COP -- AE 25 Galley right
PHOENICIA Aradus Berytus (R) * Cop -- two eagles on standards AE 15 4.7g 5
Lindgren 2274 (this coin) Neptune stg. left AE 19 6.2g 6
AUB 123-126 AE23 Dionysos stg l.
Tyre (R) * COP -- AE 30 Astarte in temple, in ex. -- palm, altar and murex shell
BMC 410; Rouvier 2431 Dido with two sailors aboard ship AE 31 14.84g 5
SAMARIA Nysa-Scythopolis *
AE 27 --- Howego 888 ctmkd
JUDEA Gaza Raphia *
AE 22 ANS 1064, Rose 28 Sphinx left, paw on wheel
MESOPOTAMIA. Carrhae Edessa * Nisibis * Singara * EGYPT. Alexandria Coins yet to be identified Return to Gordian III main page.
