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Æ23 - Gordian III & Abgar X Edessa
| Issuer | Kingdom of Osroene (Greater Armenia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 238-244 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Laureate head of the Roman Emperor Gordian III facing right, rendered in the provincial style typical of Osrhoene civic coinage. The portrait displays the characteristic youthful features of Gordian III, with a laurel wreath encircling the head. A Greek imperial titulature legend runs around the periphery of the flan. The overall style reflects the blending of Roman imperial iconography with local Mesopotamian workshop execution. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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Osroene had been a client kingdom of Rome since Abgar VIII's submission in the late 2nd century, but by Gordian III's reign it existed in name only — the dynasty clung to legitimacy through Roman patronage while Shapur I's expanding Sasanian Empire pressed from the east. This coin is one of the last issued under Abgar X Phraates, whose reign ended when Gordian's successor Philip the Arab formally annexed Osroene and abolished the kingdom outright, ending over three centuries of Abgarid rule.
The joint portrait type — a Roman emperor paired with a local dynast on a provincial bronze — is rare in the Syrian frontier issues and reflects the peculiar semi-autonomous status Edessa still held in this period.