Æ23 - Elagabalus ϹΑΡΔΙΑΝΩΝ ΤΡΙϹ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ

Sardis held the title of neokoros — warden of the imperial cult — three times over, a distinction aggressively pursued by cities across the Greek East as a measure of civic prestige and a direct line to imperial favor. The triple neokoria claim embedded in this coin's legend reflects Sardis's accumulated honors under Caracalla, who granted the city its third title, likely around 215 AD. Elagabalus's reign was short enough that most provincial bronzes from this period were struck on existing civic momentum rather than any new imperial initiative from Rome.