At age 13, Gordian III became the youngest emperor in the history of the Roman Empire. He ruled for only six years from 238-244 A.D. and coinage bearing his likeness is quite desirable today, particularly in high states of preservation. Fortunately the team at Austin Rare Coins just acquired a small group of very attractive Bronze Sestertius coins struck during the reign of the child emperor. Their size is impressive and the quality of the coins is far greater than their low price may lead you to believe.

As of right now, we have a handful of these coins in stock (more on that below), but we thought we’d take a deeper look at Gordian III in today’s post to give buyers some extra context into such an interesting life. Whether you are a collector who has been searching for this type of coin for years or you’re just intrigued by the story of a 13-year-old ruler from ancient Rome, today’s post is for you. Keep reading to learn more.

Who Was Gordian III?

“The son of Antonia Gordiana and an unnamed Roman Senator who died before 238,” according to Wikipedia, had a very interesting rise to power. Both his uncle and his grandfather were named joint emperors of Rome after a rebellion; the result of this revolt was that the joint emperors were killed in the process by soldiers of Maximinus.

We’ll turn to Wikipedia once more who notes that some of the new senators “were not popular men and the population of Rome was still shocked by the elder Gordians' fate, so the Senate decided to take the teenage Gordian, rename him Marcus Antonius Gordianus like his grandfather, and raise him to the rank of Caesar and imperial heir.”

Gordian III’s troops went on to murder Maximinus and he became Rome’s youngest sole emperor. He ruled for six short years, and as was often the fate of leaders of the time, Gordian III was murdered by the troops of Philip the Arabian in 244 at only 19 years old, although who actually murdered Gordian is often a source of debate because scholars don’t agree that there is anything conclusive that lets us know for certain just what happened.

What Did Gordian III Accomplish During His Rule?

Because of his young age and the short length of his time in power, Gordian III had a small degree of success in making changes to the Roman Empire. According to roman-emperors.org, there is “little reliable information...about the first few years of [his] reign.” What we do know is that “maintaining security along the frontiers remained the emperor's most serious challenge” but they nevertheless continued to focus their expansion in upper Mesopotamia.

New World Encyclopedia, regarding Gordian’s legacy, notes that it was both his youth and good nature that caused him to be popular among the Roman people. They sum things up quite perfectly by noting that although he was well-liked, he “did not really have time to leave his mark on history, even though he was for just over half a decade one of the most powerful men in the world at the time.”

Take a Look at These Bronze Sestertius Coins

At Austin Rare Coins we’re proud to offer an incredible selection of ancient Roman coins. As collectors well know, Roman empire coins can be hard to come by, but they’re sought after for their beauty as much as their stories.

As of the time of this writing, we are proud to offer a handful of Bronze Roman coins (also known as a Bronze Sestertius). For the price, these represent some of the best values in our inventory because they are large, round, and beautiful with a patina that truly displays the beauty of the passage of time. In short, if you’re looking for a coin that is big on the wow factor, these might just be the perfect ones to add to your collection. Gordian III is shown on the obverse facing right in a regal glare.

Take a look: Roman Gordian III Bronze Sestertius NGC About Uncirculated, Roman Gordian III Bronze Sestertius Choice Extremely Fine.

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