Æ19 - Septimius Severus ΑΦΡΟΔΕΙϹΙΕΩΝ

Aphrodisias held an unusual position in the Roman provincial system — the city claimed divine descent from Aphrodite herself and leveraged that mythology into genuine political capital, securing a formal letter of privilege from Augustus that granted it exemption from Roman taxation and proconsular jurisdiction. That status was repeatedly reaffirmed by successive emperors, and local bronze coinage was part of how the city maintained civic identity within the Carian conventus. Severus confirmed Aphrodisian privileges, giving the city reason to produce his portrait issues with particular enthusiasm.