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Æ19 - Gordian III ΑΒΓΑΡΟϹ ΒΑϹΙΛΕΥϹ
| Issuer | Edessa (Mesopotamia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 239-242 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | BMC Arabia p. 97; SNG Copenhagen 215 var. |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Draped bust of Abgar X Phraates, king of Osroene, facing right, wearing a distinctive tall tiara ornamented in the Parthian royal tradition. The drapery falls across the chest and shoulders in layered folds, reflecting the Orientalizing artistic style characteristic of Edessan coinage. The Greek legend naming Abgar as king is disposed in the field to left and right of the bust. A beaded border frames the entire design, consistent with the obverse treatment. |
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| Mint | Edessa, Mesopotamia, modern-day Urfa, Turkey |
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| Additional information |
Edessa occupied a uniquely awkward position in the third century — a nominally autonomous client kingdom under Roman suzerainty, ruled by the Abgarid dynasty while Parthian, then Sasanian, pressure mounted from the east. This coin is a product of that tension: a local civic issue bearing the name of king Abgar, struck concurrently with the Gordian III imperial series, signaling loyalty to Rome while asserting dynastic identity. The Abgarids had converted to Christianity — possibly the first ruling house to do so — making Edessa an anomaly in every direction.
The SNG Copenhagen 215 variant distinction is worth noting for attribution purposes.