Æ23 - Septimius Severus ΑΦΡΟΔΕΙϹΙΕΩΝ

Aphrodisias held an unusual position among Anatolian cities under the Severan dynasty — it had cultivated Roman favor aggressively since the late Republic, accumulating a body of privileges that included exemption from provincial taxation and the right to asylum. Septimius Severus confirmed and extended these privileges early in his reign, which likely explains the civic enthusiasm for issuing bronze coinage bearing his name. The city's close identification with the goddess after whom it was named gave it a degree of soft diplomatic leverage that most conventus cities simply lacked.