A new book on the coinage of GORDIAN III ( Antioch & Caesarea)

[Ocatarinetabellatchitchix]

This work is the result of research begun more than thirty years and which sees its culmination in 2023 with the publication of this book which had been hoped for for a long time. But he is not alone in this case. Just think of works of Michel Prieur on the Syrophoenician tetradrachms or even that of Kevin Butcher on the coinage of Syria, published in the same collection. But what is the link between the Antioch mint and the Caesarea one ? 

The answer: Roger Bland, through his study of incomparable clarity through a corpus which includes 3818 pieces for the Antioch workshop, including two series of imperial antoniniani and four series of provincial tetradrachms and 1312 coins of silver and bronze for the workshop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, demonstrated that these two productions were made by the engravers of the workshop of Antioch !

This work combines two types of coins, normally treated separately: on the one hand the so-called imperial coins, in this case the antoniniani for the reign of Gordian III (238-244). These are normally struck in Antioch in this case and are described in the Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC). The fourth volume of the latter, where the coinage of Gordy III can be found, was published in 1949. On the other hand, the Greek-speaking provincial coins, formerly colonial, which are manufactured here for the workshops of Antioch for the tetradachms and of Caesarea of Cappadocia for the tridrachms, didrachms, drachmas, as well as bronze coins of three modules (/ 2, 3 and 4) including one which presents a reduction in weight, and which are now found in the Roman Provincial Coinage (RPC), currently being published and of which volume VII.2 has just been delivered in 2022. So Bland undertook a tedious study of the die connections for all of this coinage through a sample of more than 5,000 specimens, the result of which isillustrated for each die on 100 photographic plates in high quality (black and white). Another « must have book » even if it’s not cheap (98 euros).

Edited October 28, 2023 by Ocatarinetabellatchitchix
Typo

[Rand]

I enjoyed his ANS Long Table 133 Presentation. The Joy of Die-Studies: Cataloguing the Coinage Of Gordian III. He acknowledged the major shift in the source of the research material from museum collections to sale coins, which were previously kept at lower regard.

 

 

This follows his long-term academic interest, which was the foundation of his PhD. THE COINAGE OF GORDIAN III FROM ANTIOCH AND CAESAREA. https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10116536/1/Bland_thesis.pdf

 

Edited October 28, 2023 by Rand

[hotwheelsearl]

Man, for 100 bucks why can't the pictures be in color! Especially for provincial bronzes, the color is one of the main draws for me at least. 

[DonnaML]

38 minutes ago, hotwheelsearl said:

Man, for 100 bucks why can't the pictures be in color! Especially for provincial bronzes, the color is one of the main draws for me at least. 

Just a guess, but perhaps it can be easier to see the die links in black & white?

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Really interesting book and nice coin, of course.

[Al Kowsky]

3 hours ago, Rand said:

I enjoyed his ANS Long Table 133 Presentation. The Joy of Die-Studies: Cataloguing the Coinage Of Gordian III. He acknowledged the major shift in the source of the research material from museum collections to sale coins, which were previously kept at lower regard.

 

 

This follows his long-term academic interest, which was the foundation of his PhD. THE COINAGE OF GORDIAN III FROM ANTIOCH AND CAESAREA. https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10116536/1/Bland_thesis.pdf

 

Thanks for the link, I downloaded it for reference ☺️.

[seth77]

The parallel between Antioch in Syria and Caesarea in Cappadocia is very interesting and goes way beyond the reign of Gordian and the multiple denominations and monies types employed to satisfy both the civil market needs and the military expenses for war campaigns. The two mints were in fact main suppliers of coin for the East as a whole, with a steady multiple-denomination system in place, including silver/billon and a regular output with multiple issues per reign, usually dated per regnal year. As such, most coins minted at Caesarea Cappadocia and Antioch in Syria are very common, but at the same particular moments that were brief and irregular -- and extremely rare in the coinage of Rome -- are better represented here in the East.

Here is the Gordian type from the covers, but in a modest condition:

 

And some earlier types:

-- the coinage for the Philadelphia-Severia Games of 205, minted at Caesarea with a clear mention of a 'Koinon of Cappadocia' so a regional coinage:

 

-- Cornelia Iulia Paula when she married Elagabal in early 219 had coinage minted in her name with the full long legends, together with the Caracalla-like bust for her husband Elagabal:

Edited October 30, 2023 by seth77