Long Table 133. The Joy of Die-Studies: Cataloguing the Coinage Of Gordian III
Channel: American Numismatic Society
Date: 2023-04-17

In 1982, Roger Bland started a doctoral thesis that was originally planned to be a study of the mint of Antioch in Syria under Valerian and Gallienus. Nine years later, it was completed as The coinage of Gordian III from Antioch and Caesarea and included a die-study of the coins. Thirty-two years later, the thesis was published by the Royal Numismatic Society in its Special Publications series, with 5,396 specimens: over three times more coins than was available in 1991. This Long Table will look at what information we can gain from an in-depth study of mainstream Roman coinage, consisting of both antonininiani and tetradrachms, and the closely related coinage of Caesarea in Cappadocia. Dr. Bland will also look at the ways in which one goes about tackling a die-study, and how that has changed over that time.

Roger Bland is currently President of the Royal Numismatic Society. He retired from the British Museum in 2015, where he served as Keeper of the Department of Britain, Europe and Prehistory.