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Æ21 - Elagabalus ΠΡΩΤΩΝ ΑϹΙΑϹ ΕΦΕϹΙΩΝ
| Issuer | Ephesus (Conventus of Ephesus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 218-222 |
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| Diameter | 21 mm |
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| Reverse description | Artemis, patroness of Ephesus, depicted advancing to the right in a dynamic hunting pose, her figure energetically seizing a stag by its antlers while pressing her knee firmly upon the animal's back to subdue it. The composition reflects the goddess's role as divine huntress and her central importance to the civic identity of Ephesus. The reverse legend, distributed around the field, proclaims the preeminence of Ephesus as the foremost city of Asia. The die work, though worn, conveys the fluid movement characteristic of Ephesian civic bronzes under the Severan dynasty. |
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| Mint | Ephesus |
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| Additional information |
Ephesus held the title ΠΡΩΤΩΝ ΑϹΙΑϹ — "first of Asia" — not merely as civic pride but as a hard-won administrative designation conferring precedence over rival cities like Smyrna and Pergamon, a competition fought through embassies, imperial flattery, and considerable expense. Under Elagabalus, that rivalry remained live. The emperor's own theological eccentricities made his reign an unstable platform for any city seeking imperial favor, yet Ephesian bronze issues continued uninterrupted throughout his four years.
The conventus system meant these coins circulated within a defined judicial district, not across the province at large.