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Æ32 - Gordian III ΑΥΤΟΚ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟϹ ΑΒΓΑΡΟϹ ΒΑϹΙΛΕΥϹ
| Issuer | Edessa (Mesopotamia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 239-242 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 19.65 g |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | A ceremonial audience scene depicts Emperor Gordian III, laureate and seated right upon a raised platform or tribunal, holding a sceptre surmounted by an eagle. He faces Abgar X, king of Osroene, who stands to the left wearing his characteristic Parthian-style tiara, and holds a Nike (Victory figurine) in one hand and a sword in the other. The composition underscores the political alliance between Rome and the client kingdom of Edessa, rendered with bilateral Greek legends naming both rulers in the field. |
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Gordian III and Abgar X Phraates of Edessa appear jointly on this bronze, a pairing that reflects the political reality of 239–242: Edessa occupied a critical buffer position between Rome and Sassanid Persia, and its Abgarid dynasty had long practiced the art of strategic loyalty. The joint issue was almost certainly minted in connection with Gordian's eastern campaign, which culminated in the inconclusive Battle of Misiche in 244. Edessa's cooperation was worth commemorating in bronze.
The city would be stripped of its client-kingdom status under subsequent Roman reorganization — making this among the final coinages of the Abgarid line.