ROMAN EMPIRE: Pupienus, April-July 238, AE sestertius (22.67g), Rome, RIC-20, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, IMP CAES M CLOD PVPIENVS AVG // Concordia seated left, holding patera and cornucopia, CONCORDIA AVGG, S C in exergue, attractive dark brown patina, Choice VF, Scarce. Having thrown their support behind the Gordians' failed revolt, the senators elected two of their own, Pupienus and Balbinus, to the throne in a bid to save themselves. The former marched north to meet Maximinus and his Pannonian legions, while the latter stayed in Rome to handle civil administration. News soon came of Maximinus' death at the hands of a group of disaffected soldiers following his unsuccessful siege of Aquileia, and Pupienus returned to Rome to celebrate a triumph with Balbinus. However, their joint reign was immediately marred by their unpopularity, as well as their mutual distrust. The two men ruled for just 99 days before they were brutally murdered by members of the Praetorian Guard.
Estimate: $350-450