Ancient Roman Silver Coin of Emperor Gordian III (Teen Emperor of Rome)

Own a Silver Coin from the Thirteen-Year-Old Who Gave Rome Its Longest Reign of the Crisis Era

A real silver denarius of Gordian III — the teenage emperor whose six-year reign was the longest of the entire Crisis of the Third Century, guided first by his grandmother and the Senate, then by his father-in-law Timesitheus, and ending in mysterious death on campaign against Persia. NGC certified Very Fine.

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👑 The youngest emperor of the Crisis era — proclaimed at thirteen, governing for six years, outlasting every adult rival who surrounded him
🏛 Reverse depicts Jupiter, Victory, or Peace — stability propaganda from a reign that actually delivered relative order to a Rome consuming itself
🤲 Struck AD 238–244 — the silver of a teenage emperor whose death in Mesopotamia remains one of Roman history's most debated mysteries. NGC certified VF.

Own This Piece of History

Why This Coin Matters

The year AD 238 — the Year of the Six Emperors — was the most chaotic single year in Roman imperial history. Maximinus Thrax was murdered outside Aquileia. The Gordian I and II lasted 22 days in Africa. Pupienus and Balbinus were proclaimed by the Senate, governed jointly for 99 days, and were then tortured and murdered by the Praetorian Guard. Out of this extraordinary sequence of violence and failure, the Praetorians proclaimed a thirteen-year-old boy as sole emperor.

Gordian III was the grandson of Gordian I, elevated initially as a political symbol — a child young enough to be managed, carrying the prestigious Gordian name that had briefly inspired senatorial resistance to Maximinus. What happened next surprised everyone. His reign lasted six years — longer than any emperor of the Crisis of the Third Century, longer than men twice his age who had actually governed provinces and commanded armies. In the early years, real power rested with the Senate and his grandmother. After his marriage in AD 241, his father-in-law Timesitheus — one of the most capable administrators Rome produced in the 3rd century — served as Praetorian Prefect and effectively ran the empire with extraordinary competence.

The eastern campaign against the rising Sasanian Persian Empire of Shapur I was proceeding successfully when Timesitheus died — possibly of illness, possibly of less natural causes. His replacement, the Arab Philip, assumed the Praetorian Prefecture. Within months, Gordian III was dead. The official account cited wounds in battle. Roman sources and a Persian triumphal inscription both claim he was killed in the aftermath of a defeat. Philip the Arab, who succeeded him and negotiated peace with Persia, was widely suspected. Gordian III was approximately nineteen years old. This VF denarius preserves his youthful portrait — the face of an emperor who stabilized Rome's most chaotic era and died before he could truly govern it himself. Certified by NGC.

Perfect for:

• Collectors of Crisis of the Third Century, soldier-emperor era, and Roman imperial silver denarii
• History lovers drawn to Gordian III, the Year of the Six Emperors, and Rome's most turbulent generation
• Teenage emperor portrait, VF grade, and NGC certified Roman silver enthusiasts
• Anyone seeking a historically extraordinary piece from the youngest emperor of Rome's most chaotic era

What You'll Receive

• One authentic Roman silver denarius of Gordian III
• Denomination: AR Denarius (high-value Roman silver)
• NGC certified — graded Very Fine (VF)
• Struck AD 238–244 — similar to examples shown (each coin is unique)

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• Guaranteed authentic ancient coin
• Carefully sourced and verified
• 30-day return policy
• Secure shipping from the U.S.

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