ROMAN PROVINCE TOMIS THRACE AE26 10.8gm GORDIAN III &TRANQUILLINA SERPENT V5717

Description

ROMAN PROVINCE TOMIS THRACE AE26 10.8gm GORDIAN III & TRANQUILLINA FACING/ SERPENT RISING VARBANOV 5717 AMNG 3555 RARE
I WILL SHIP OVERSEAS ONLY THROUGH THE GLOBAL SHIPPING PROGRAM OR OTHER US BASED SHIPPING PROGRAMS
Tomis (Constanta, Romania) mint, 241 - 244 A.D.;
obverse
AVT
K M ANT ΓOP∆IANOC AYΓ CE TPANKYΛΛINA,
confronted
busts of Gordian on left, laureate, draped, and
cuirassed
, and
Tranquillina
on right, draped and wearing
stephane
;
reverse
MHTPO ΠONTOY TOMEΩC, coiled
serpent
,
head
right
Gordian III Emperor of Rome 238-244 was born in 225, the son of a senator.  He was the youngest sole Roman emperor in its history.  Upon the murder of Severus Alexander, Maximus Thrax was proclaimed emperor in Rome and Gordian I & 2 were proclaimed joint emperors in Africa.  Maximus was very unpopular and Pupienus and Balbinus were elected to replace him.  Pupienus and Balbinus were murdered by the Praetorian Guard, Gordian I died, Gordian II disappeared and Gordian III was made emperor at age 13.  Because of his age, the Imperial Government was surrendered to aristocratic families in Rome.  When the Sassanians invaded Mesopotamia, Gordian (a high spirited adventurous youth) left Rome to stop them, and he was killed under suspicious circumstances.
In 241, Tranquillina's father was appointed the
head
of the Praetorian Guard. In May that year, Gordian married
Tranquillina
and she received the honorific title of Augusta. Her marriage to Gordian was an admission by the young emperor of both the political indispensability of Timesitheus and Tranquillina's suitability as an empress.
Tranquillina
survived her husband. She
had
no sons with him but they may have
had
a daughter, born after Gordian's death.