Tranquillina - Wife Of Gordianus III

Because of the extreme paucity of Imperial silver in the name of Tranquillina I can only give you a link for an antoninianus that sold within the last two weeks prior to this writing:
https://www.sixbid.com/browse.html?...&lot=2918227 br /

However, by means of Provincial coinage I can here provide her portrait in silver with a drachm from Caesaria in Cappadocia:


Draped bust right; CABINV TRANKVLLIANE (read SABINU TRANQUILLIANE)

Mt. Argaeus; pellet to upper right, MHTRO KAIC B N ? // ET E; (date = Regnal Year 5) in exergue.
(E=epsilon)




Furia Sabinia Tranquillina (c. 225 - aft. 244) was the Empress of Rome and wife of Emperor Gordian III. She was the young daughter of the Praetorian Prefect Gaius Furius Sabinius Aquila Timesitheus, the man who was appointed the head of the Praetorian Guard by the Roman Emperor Gordian III in 241. In May that year, Tranquillina had married Gordian. She became a Roman Empress and received the honorific title of Augusta. Her marriage to Gordian was an acknowledgement by the young emperor of Tranquillina's suitability as an empress as well as Timesitheus' political indispensability. To have arranged his own high appointment and the marriage of his daughter to the emperor, we may be sure Timesitheus held sway over the timid boy-emperor. Celebrations were probably brief as Gordian, Timesitheus and Tranquillina soon marched east at the head of an army to answer the invasion of Roman Syria by the Persian king Shapur. Under the guidance of Timesitheus the Persians were contained and the lands they had pillaged restored. Had this able captain not fallen ill and died in the winter of 243, Gordian would have fared very well in the Imperial order. However, the gap in military leadership was filled by the elevation of Philip the Arab, deputy to Timesitheus, who had ambitions that did not leave room for an Imperial regent on the throne. In February of 244 Gordian III, and his third wife, Tranquillina, met their ends.


Although coins for this issuer were putatively issued from 241 until 244, the Imperial coins of Tranquillina are inexplicably rare. They include the full range of denominations then being struck for her husband in silver and bronze, lacking only gold coins or medallions. Though Tranquillinas series shows every sign of being the first output of a substantial coinage, it must have ceased after the initial issue. It remains a mystery why Tranquillinas coinage ended as soon as it began, for Timesitheus remained praetorian prefect until his death two years later, and Gordian remained married to Tranquillina for the remaining three years of his own life.

Fortunately the Roman Provincial coinage that includes her image, particularly in combination with Gordian III, is quite plentiful and therefore readily accessible to the collector of modest means. I have a little over 25 examples in my collection alone, so you know they are cheap.

Here are a couple of nice Provincial bronzes to round out the picture:

AE28 Markianopolis Pentassarion
Gordian III and Tranquillina face to face; AVTKMANT GORDIANOC AVG E(t) TRANKVA/LLINA

Athena in Athenian(?) helmet, stg l holding spear vertically in left hand, and with right hand holds her shield at feet .
VP TERTVLLIANON MARKIA[NAPOLI]TWN
E in left field (denomination)


The figure in the obverse inscription of her cognomen (at the end of its first line) is probably not intended to be an "A" but it looks like one to me. More likely it is an uncial "I."



AE25 Anchialos
Gordian III and Tranquillina face to face, [...]ANT GORDIANO KAI CEB TRANKVL/ LINA

Diana with bow in l hand and patera in outstreched r hand. Stag l at feet.
OVLPIANWN AGXIALEIN (=Anchialos)



I'm not sure about the denomination for this coin, but it is not as large as the typical Pentassarion. It could be a Tetrassarion.