Æ19 - Septimius Severus ΑΦΡΟΔΙϹΙΕΩΝ

Aphrodisias was unusual among Carian cities in that its civic identity was inseparable from the imperial cult — the city's longstanding devotion to Aphrodite had made it a natural magnet for Roman patronage since Augustus, who granted it formal tax exemption and effectively placed it under the personal protection of the emperor. Bronze issues under Septimius Severus reflect a city still trading on that privileged relationship, even as the Severan dynasty reoriented imperial favour toward eastern cities with military and strategic value.

The conventus seat at Alabanda exercised administrative oversight, but Aphrodisias retained enough autonomy to issue its own civic bronze throughout the period.