Watch List notes:

JDL Collection Part II: Roman Coins
THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

GORDIAN II, beginning (?) January 238–c. January 20 (?),

238. Sestertius, Rome, Æ 20.98 g.
Obv. IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AFR AVG His lau-
reate draped and cuirassed bust right; border of dots.
Rev. ROMAE AETERNAE Roma seated left, holding Victory in right hand and leaning left hand on long sceptre; against the seat, shield; in exergue, S C. Border of dots.
Literature
Cohen 9
BMC RE VI, 247, 23, pl. 42, 23
RIC IV/2, 164, 5
Banti 4
M.-M. Bendenoun, Coins of the Ancient World, A portrait of the JDL Collection, Tradart, Genève, 2009, 82 (this coin)
Condition
Very rare. A strong portrait and a fine reddish-brown patina somewhat tooled, otherwise extremely fine / about extre- mely fine.

Provenance
Kunst und Münzen AG XX, Lugano, 1979, lot 416.
The heavy taxation in North Africa had reached an intolerable level early in 238, when a group of young noblemen mobilized their servants and tenant farmers and murdered the imperial procurator. Now in dire straits, they convinced the elderly pro- consul Gordian to be their candidate for emperor. He accepted their offer and was joined by his son as co-emperor; sources disagree whether they were proclaimed emperor jointly, or if the younger Gordian joined the revolt a few days after his father already had committed.
The Gordiani established themselves in Carthage and, upon learning of the approach of the Numidian governor Capellianus with the Legio III Augusta and its auxiliaries, the younger Gor- dian mustered a rag-tag army to defend the capital. Herodian (7.9.3-10) offers perhaps our most complete account on the rebellion, which includes this shocking passage:
"...the governor marched toward Carthage at the head of a huge army of young, vigorous men equipped with every type of weapon and trained for battle by military experience gained in fighting the barbarians. ...When the battle was joined, the Car- thaginians were superior in numbers, but they were an undisci- plined mob, without military training...To make it worse, they were without arms and proper equipment. Each man brought from home a dagger, an ax, or a hunting spear; those who found hides cut out circles of leather, arranged pieces of wood as a frame, and fashioned shields as best they could. The Numidians, by contrast, were excellent javelin men and superb horsemen. ...They easily routed the huge Carthaginian mob; without waiting for the Numidians' charge, the Carthaginians threw down their arms and fled. Crowding and trampling one another underfoot, more Carthaginians were killed in the crush than fell by enemy action. There the son of Gordian died, to- gether with all his companions, and the number of dead was so great that it was impossible to gather them for burial. The body of the young Gordian was never found. A few of the many
who rushed into Carthage and found a place to hide managed to save themselves... The rest of the mob crowded before the gates of the city, trying to force their way in; attacked by the ca- valry and legionary troops, they were cut down to the last man. Loud wailing of women and children was heard everywhere in the city when they saw their loved ones slaughtered before their eyes. ...When Capellianus entered Carthage, he put to death all the prominent men who survived the battle, plundered the temples, and seized the public and private funds."