Æ20 - Gallienus (sole reign) (DEO AISC C G I H P)

Parium, a Greek colony on the Propontis coast, retained its colonial identity and issued bronze coinage well into the third century under Roman rule, a privilege not uniformly extended across the province of Asia. The legend DEO AISC C G I H P likely encodes a dedication to a local deity or genius conflated with Roman imperial cult, a practice that accelerated sharply after Gallienus consolidated sole rule following his father Valerian's capture by Shapur I in 260 — a catastrophe that pushed provincial cities to reinforce loyalty through precisely this kind of civic religious coinage.