Æ18 - Septimius Severus ΕΦΕϹΙΩΝ

Ephesus held the title of "first and greatest metropolis of Asia" and fought jealously to maintain it against rival cities like Smyrna and Pergamon. Provincial bronze of this type was struck under civic authority, not imperial directive — the city funded and managed its own coinage to facilitate local exchange, which is why fabric and die quality vary so sharply even within a single type.