Æ23 - Elagabalus ΕΦΕϹΙΩΝ ΠΡΩΤΩΝ ΑϹΙΑϹ

Ephesus held the title prōtē Asias — "first of Asia" — through a combination of imperial favor and aggressive civic lobbying, a status it defended jealously against rival Smyrna and Pergamon throughout the second and third centuries. The inscription broadcasting that primacy on this coin was not ceremonial modesty; it was a standing argument in an ongoing inter-city competition for Roman recognition, temple-warden titles, and the right to host imperial cult ceremonies.

Elagabalus's short reign generated a substantial provincial bronze output, partly because the new emperor's Syrian origins and religious controversies created pressure on eastern cities to demonstrate loyalty through coinage activity.