P M TR P COS P P

Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian I Africanus to the right, seen from three quarters back.

The genius of the senate standing left, stretching out a branch with the right hand and holding a small scepter with the left hand.

Photo of a coin sold the 17/05/2017 by Nomos AG, Auction 14, lot 415, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3854552, link to their website: https://nomosag.com/.

I noted "genius of the senate" on the reverse unlike RIC 4B which notes "the emperor standing on the left ...". Indeed, this character always appears at the same age and bearded whether it is for emperors bearded or not, young or old. Similarly, RIC 4B noted that "the emperor on the reverse is sometimes represented with a radiated crown and sometimes with a laureate crown". On all the copies that I have seen, I have not noticed any element allowing to say that a crown is radiate. I think that the ribbons represented behind the head of the genius of the senate on the reverse as on this coin: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=96593, perhaps influenced the authors of RIC 4B who concluded with different crowns depending on whether these ribbons were visible or not.

Gordian I and II share the same obverse legends, the bust of Gordian II is distinguished by the absence of hair in front of his laurel wreath.