Æ24 - Philip I ΙΕΡΑΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ

Hierapolis in Phrygia — not to be confused with the more famous Syrian city — sat on the Lycus River and fell under the administrative jurisdiction of the Cibyra conventus, one of the judicial districts Rome imposed on Asia Minor to manage provincial affairs without direct Senate oversight. Philip I's five-year reign generated substantial provincial bronze output across the eastern mints, partly because his elevation following the death of Gordian III in Mesopotamia required rapid legitimization throughout the provinces. Civic bronzes like this one functioned as that legitimization made tangible — local authority visibly endorsing the new emperor.