Æ19 - Augustus ΑΡΤΕΜΙΔΩΡΟΣ ΕΦΕ ΒΩΝΕΙΤΗΣ

RPC I 2616 is one of several civic bronzes struck at Ephesus under the magistrate whose name appears in the genitive on the coin — a standard Greek formula identifying the annually appointed official responsible for the issue. Ephesus held the rank of the most prominent city of the conventus bearing its name, and its mint was among the most active in the province of Asia during the Augustan period. The city's close relationship with Rome, cemented partly through its role as seat of the provincial governor, made it a natural venue for coinage honoring the new imperial order.