UNCERTAIN GERMANIC TRIBES, Pseudo-Imperial coinage. Late 3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Quinarius' (Gold, 16 mm, 2.91 g, 7 h), 'Gordian Group'. Imitating Gordian III, 238-244. GORDIANVS PIVS Laureate and draped bust of Gordian III to right. Rev. VS ΔHMAPX Eagle standing right, wings spread and holding wreath in beak. Aurum Barbarorum I, -, cf. 801 (head to right, differing legends and the eagle with his head turned to left and without the wreath). A historically interesting and very important issue. Some scrapes on the obverse and with the suspension loop broken off, otherwise, good very fine.


Clearly this eagle does not copy a Roman imperial Consecratio-issue: it is much more reminiscent of Roman Provincial tetradrachms from Antiochia on the Orontes of the 240s-250s, a somewhat surprising observation which becomes even more obvious by the Greek word ΔHMAPX on the reverse - an abbreviation of the term ΔHMAPXIKH EΞOYΣIA appearing on almost all Syro-Phoenician tetradrachms. It is the Greek translation of the Latin tribunicia potestas and proves beyond a doubt that the artist of the 'Gordian-group' had at his disposal Provincial tetradrachms from Antiochia on the Orontes, most likely of Philip I and his family (see below, lot 1871).