Æ16 - Commodus ϹΜΥΡΝΑΙΩΝ

Smyrna was among the most competitive cities in the province of Asia when it came to imperial honorifics, having received the title of *neokoros* — warden of the imperial cult — and spending the late second century leveraging every available medium, including small bronze issues like this, to advertise that status. Commodus, whose reign grew increasingly erratic after 180 AD, was nonetheless cultivated by eastern cities eager to maintain favor with the court.