Gordian III, 238-244, Aureus

Gordian III, Aureus, gold, reign AD 238–244; struck Rome, AD 240, 4.73 g, 20 mm. Obverse: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG; laureate bust of Gordian III right. Reverse: P M TR P III COS P P (Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate III, Consul, Pater Patriae); the emperor in military attire on horseback left, raising right hand in adlocutio and holding spear in left. Hammer-struck at the Rome mint. Reference: RIC IV Gordian III 80. Historical significance: Struck in AD 240, early in Gordian III’s reign following the upheavals of 238, this aureus uses an equestrian command scene to present the young emperor as leader of the legions. The tribunician numeral III dates the issue to his third tribunician year, while the titles P M, COS, and P P underscore his constitutional roles. The type aligns with the regime’s emphasis on military authority and public order during a period of senatorial guidance and rising Sasanian pressure, with operational control of campaigns largely managed by the praetorian prefect Timesitheus.