A Twin Portrait Greek Imperial

Recent hoards have brought to the market many Greek Imperial (=Roman Colonial) coins from the Black Sea Region. Included among these are quite a number of varieties that show the Emperor and a member of his family both on the the same side of the coin. The two headed coins are common from several cities for the Emperors from Septimius Severus through Gordian III. As might be expected from recent hoard coins, some specimens have beautiful patinas while others have been harshly cleaned.

Gordian III & Tranquillina - Tomis, Moesia Inferior (Constanta, Romania)
Orichalcum AE 28 - 13.3g - 241-244 AD
Gordian (left) facing right & Tranquillina (right) facing left / Tyche (Fortuna) standing
AVTK M ANT (gamma)OP(delta)IANOC AV(gamma) CA
TPANKV(lambda) - (lambda)EINA / MHTPO (pi)ONT-OV TOME(omega)C

This week's Featured coin has been cleaned to the point that it is obvious that the metal used was yellow brass or 'orichalcum' . Both sides of the coin show prominent centration dimples which are artifacts of the process by which the flans were rounded and should not be considered faults. The obverse legend (ugly as it is, this coin shows all of the legend) is broken between the part written around the edge and the completion written upright in two lines under the portraits. Note also the first two letters of the reverse legend (MH) were written ligate. As often with Greek Imperial coins, the reverse legend spells out the name of the issuing city "City on the sea Tomis".

In 241 AD, Gordian married Tranquillina, the daughter of his Praetorian Praefect and chief advisor, Timesitheus. Her coinage is very rare in the Roman denominations but is quite common from Colonial mints. Timesitheus soon died and was replaced by Phillip, a soldier who saw no reason he should retain the teenaged Emperor. In 244 AD, Gordian was killed and Phillip I was proclaimed Augustus.

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