Æ20 - Augustus ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ

Alexandria minted provincially under Augustus without the authority to strike silver, a restriction Rome imposed on most eastern mints to maintain control over the high-value currency supply. These small bronzes served local transactional needs in a city that was, administratively, the personal property of the emperor — Egypt was governed not as a senatorial province but as an imperial domain so sensitive that senators were barred from entering without explicit permission.