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Æ23 - Gordian III P M S COL VIM, AN IIII
| Issuer | Colonia Viminacium (Moesia Superior) |
|---|---|
| Year | 242-243 |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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| Reverse description | The personification of Moesia stands facing, head turned left, between two legionary vexilla: the left vexillum (inscribed VII) is surmounted by a small portrait head facing right, identified as Tranquillina, while the right vexillum (inscribed IIII) is surmounted by a small portrait head facing left, identified as Gordian III, referencing Legio VII Claudia and Legio IIII Flavia Felix garrisoned in the province. At the lower left, a bull stands facing right, symbolising Legio VII Claudia; at the lower right, a lion stands facing left, symbolising Legio IIII Flavia Felix. The colonial era date AN IIII (Year 4 of the Viminacium colony) appears in the legend. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Viminacium's civic bronze coinage operated on a local year count — AN IIII marks the fourth year of the colony's era, which began in 239/240 AD when Philip the Arab's predecessor Gordian III granted the settlement colonial status, likely as a reward for its strategic importance as the primary legionary base on the middle Danube frontier. The two legions garrisoned there, Legio VII Claudia and Legio IIII Flavia, provided both the political leverage for the promotion and the ready economy that made a local bronze coinage viable.
Varbanov 3290 falls within a well-documented but modestly varied sequence; die alignment inconsistencies are common across this year's issues.