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Æ24 - Gordian III ΑΒΓΑΡΟϹ ΒΑϹΙΛΕΥϹ
| Issuer | Edessa (Mesopotamia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 239-242 |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | Draped bust of Abgar X Phraates, king of Osroene, facing right, wearing an elaborate tiara adorned with diadem and decorative elements; a star appears in the field behind the bust. The legend identifying the Abgarid king is inscribed in Greek characters in the right field and around the periphery. The rendering reflects the distinctive local artistic tradition of the Edessene dynastic coinage, combining Parthian regal iconography with Roman provincial coin production. |
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| Additional information |
Edessa occupied a uniquely ambiguous political position during Gordian III's reign — nominally a Roman client kingdom under the Abgarid dynasty, yet culturally and linguistically Aramaic, maintaining its own royal titulature on civic bronze even as Roman imperial authority tightened across Mesopotamia. The bilingual nature of this coinage, pairing the emperor's Latin name with the Syriac-derived Greek of the Abgarid royal title, reflects a negotiated autonomy rather than outright annexation.
Abgar X Phraates, the last king to issue in this joint format, lost his throne sometime around 242 AD when Edessa was absorbed fully into the Roman provincial system — making coins of this type among the final products of a dynasty that had ruled the city for over three centuries.