Gordian III, 238-244. Antoninianus (Silver, 25 mm, 4.82 g, 12 h), Antiochia, 239-240. IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian III to right, seen from behind. Rev. P M TR P I[...] MILITVM Fides standing front, head to left, holding signum in her right hand and cornucopiae in her left. Cf. Bland, Coinage, 20, Cohen 90, Michaux 471 and RIC 183a. A highly interesting reverse overstrike. Light doubling on the obverse and traces of overstriking on the reverse, otherwise, good very fine.



This is a so-called 'Kraay overstrike', in which the mint workers used two different reverse dies alternately and in rapid succession at the same anvil, accidentally striking the reverse twice with differing types. This is of particular interest to us, since such coins provide tangible links between two reverse types that must have been struck contemporaneously - in our case, between a dated reverse, probably P M TR P II COS P P, and FIDES MILITVM.