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Coin of the Month

May 2025: A Coin from Viminacium

The Coin of this Month is presented by Patrick Dörr


In the spotlight is this time a roman provincial from Viminacium of emperor Gordian III.

This month we turn the spotlight on a coin of the ancient city of Viminacium, struck during the reign of emperor Gordian III. The emperor himself is depicted as draped and cuirassed bust on the obverse of the coin. He can be identified through his physiognomy and through the coin-legend which clearly names him.
The reverse on the contrary needs further explanation. In the centre of the coin a female figure, wearing a long garment, is visible. Her head is turned to the left. In her hands, she holds two vexilla, specific military standards of the roman army. Among experts there is no doubt that a personification of the roman province Moesia (Superior) is depicted here. Another indicator is the coin-legend, which reads P(rovincia) M(oesia) S(uperior) COL(onia) VIM(imacium).
Furthermore, the vexilla can also interpreted as a clear sign of importance of the military factor of the province in her role of guarding the Danube-border to the north. Looking closely on the two vexilla the roman numbers VII and IIII are visible. This can be understood as an indicator of the simultaneously stationed legions in the region: the legio VII Claudia in the nearby area of modern Kostolac and the legio IIII Flavia at Singidunum, the modern Belgrade.
But what do these depictions of animals, also shown on the coin, stand for in this context? Moesia is flanked by two antithetically positioned beasts, a bull on the left and a lion on the right. As a matter of fact, these two animals represent the already mentioned legions, due to their character as ‚heraldic animals‘ for them. While the bull stands for the legio VII Claudia, the lion embodies the legio IIII Flavia. The identification of the legions through the depiction just of the animals was understandable to the ancient recipient in such an extend, that in many cases, the die-cutter didn’t depict the vexilla at all and showed Moesia without any attribute or just with a branch, a sceptre or a globe.
As a result of this, a convention of imagery from Viminacium evolved, which continued, exeptions included, from the first coins struck during the reign of Gordian III. until the reign of emperor Gallienus.
In addition it seems notable that also the later dated coinage of the province Dacia, inspired by the viminacian coins, adapted the pattern for it’s own coinage. Instead of Moesia now Dacia dominates the centre of the coins flanked by the ‚heraldic animals‘ of the stationed legions in it’s area.
Finally, the spotlight shall be turned on the exergue of the coin of the month. The abbreviation AN(no) IIII gives us a hint for the exact dating of the particular coin, as one can count from the year of the opening of the Viminacium mint onwards yearly. Therefore, the mentioned fourth year can be dated in the year 242/243 A.D. The counting can be continued until the closure of the mint. The mint in Dacia also chose this approch but counted from the year of it’s own mint-installation.


Selected further reading:
• L. Juhász, The Reverse Types from the Local Mint of Viminacium: an Iconographic Analysis, Numizmatikai Közlöny 108/109, 2009/2010, 23–44
• J. Mairat, M. S. Butcher (Hrsg.), Roman Provincial Coinage VII.II. From Gordian I to Gordian III (AD 128–244): all provinces exept Asia (London 2022)
• F. Martin, Kolonialprägungen aus Moesia Superior und Dacia (Bonn 1992)


For further information regarding this particular object of the collection of the „Sammlung der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin“ click on the link below.



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