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Æ15 - Marcus Aurelius ϹΜΥΡΝΑΙΩΝ
| Issuer | Smyrna (Ionia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 161-185 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | A river-god reclines to the left in a languid, semi-recumbent posture, holding a reed in his outstretched hand and resting his elbow upon an overturned water-urn from which water flows, a standard iconographic convention for personified rivers in Greek provincial coinage. The ethnic legend ϹΜΥΡΝΑΙΩΝ (of the Smyrnaeans) is inscribed in the field around the figure, identifying the issuing civic authority. The overall style reflects the competent but unpretentious die-cutting typical of small-module bronze issues from the Conventus of Smyrna under Marcus Aurelius. |
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| Mint | Smyrna, Ionia, modern-day İzmir, Turkey |
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| Additional information |
Smyrna was among the most politically aggressive cities in the province of Asia when it came to imperial flattery, having competed fiercely — and eventually successfully — against Ephesus and Pergamon for the title of neokoros, or temple warden, under Hadrian. Small civic bronzes of this type circulated purely at the local level, their production authorized by the city rather than Rome, with denominations and output volumes set entirely by municipal need.