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Æ19 - Gallienus (sole reign) (ϹΜΥΡ Γ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ)
| Issuer | Smyrna (Conventus of Smyrna) |
|---|---|
| Year | 260-268 |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | Heracles standing facing left in the field, depicted in the canonical heroic pose holding a patera in his extended right hand, his grounded club in his left hand, and the Nemean lion skin draped over his arm. The reverse legend, disposed around the field in lunate Greek script, proclaims Smyrna's prestigious status as a three-time neocorate city. The type reflects Smyrna's civic pride and its deep association with the Heracles cult during the high imperial period. |
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| Additional information |
Smyrna held the title of neokoros — temple warden of the imperial cult — three times over, a distinction advertised aggressively on civic coinage during the third century as Greek cities competed fiercely for Roman imperial favor. The gamma in the legend denotes this third grant, awarded under circumstances that remain debated but likely tied to the Severan period, with the title simply carried forward through successive reigns including Gallienus's sole rule after Valerian's capture by Shapur I in 260.