Æ25 - Gordian III COL IVL AVS PGLLA (sic)

The garbled legend COL IVL AVS PGLLA — almost certainly a die-cutter's error for the standard colonial title of Pella (Colonia Iulia Augusta Pella) — is the distinguishing feature of this type and the reason it circulates among specialists as a distinct variety. Pella, refounded as a Roman colony under Augustus, retained its colonial titulature on civic bronzes well into the third century. Dies for provincial issues were cut locally, and the quality of letter-cutting varied considerably from workshop to workshop.