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Æ18 - Marcus Aurelius ϹΜΥΡΝΑΙΩΝ
| Issuer | Smyrna, Ionia (civic coinage) |
|---|---|
| Year | 161-185 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | The turreted Amazon Smyrna, eponymous heroine and patron deity of the city, depicted standing facing with head turned to left. She holds a spear in one hand and a double axe (labrys) in the other, with a chlamys draped over her arm or shoulder, attributes emblematic of her warrior character and Anatolian cultic associations. The reverse legend ϹΜΥΡΝΑΙΩΝ, denoting 'of the Smyrnaeans', is inscribed around the field in Greek characters. The design is executed in the compact, somewhat stylised manner typical of provincial civic bronzes struck under Marcus Aurelius. |
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| Mintage | ND (161-185) |
| Additional information |
Smyrna was among the most politically active minting cities in Roman Asia Minor, competing aggressively with Ephesus and Pergamon for the title of "First City of Asia" — a honorific with real administrative weight. Coins issued under Marcus Aurelius from Smyrna often reflect that rivalry directly, with the city leveraging imperial portraiture to reinforce its claims to primacy during a reign consumed by Parthian war and the first serious Danubian pressures.
The civic bronze series from Smyrna under Marcus Aurelius is notably prolific, with multiple magistrate issues recorded across his reign.