Æ23 - Septimius Severus ΕΦΕϹΙΩΝ Β ΝΕΟΚΟΡΩΝ

Ephesus held the title of neokoros — temple warden of the imperial cult — with fierce civic pride, and the Β ΝΕΟΚΟΡΩΝ legend advertises the city's status as twice-awarded that honor. The second neokorate at Ephesus was granted under Hadrian, giving the city two imperial temples to boast of. Provincial bronze of this type circulated within the conventus jurisdiction, the Roman administrative district centered on Ephesus as the capital of Asia, and was struck under civic rather than imperial authority.