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Æ17 - Domitian ΖΜΥΡΝΑΙΩΝ
| Issuer | Smyrna (Conventus of Smyrna) |
|---|---|
| Year | 94-95 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | Nemesis, the goddess of divine retribution, depicted standing to the left in long flowing chiton and himation, her figure rendered in the round in typical Smyrnaean provincial style. She holds a cubit-rule or bridle in her extended right hand and draws back her garment at the chest with her left hand, attributes closely associated with her iconography as enforcer of justice and balance. The ethnic legend ΖΜΥΡΝΑΙΩΝ in Greek characters arcs around the field, indicating the issuing city of Smyrna. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Smyrna held the title neokoros — official guardian of an imperial cult temple — and coins struck under Domitian reflect the city's aggressive cultivation of that status. The issue dates to a period when Domitian was insisting on being addressed as dominus et deus, a demand that accelerated the political usefulness of eastern provincial mints flattering the emperor through bronze civic coinage. Smyrna was competing directly with Ephesus and Pergamon for imperial favor, and small bronzes like this were as much diplomatic currency as commercial.