Æ24 - Valerian and Gallienus ΚΥΜΑΙΩΝ ΞΑΝΘΟϹ

Cyme, one of the oldest Greek settlements on the Aeolian coast, struck provincial bronzes under joint imperial authority during the co-reign of Valerian and Gallienus — a pairing forced by the catastrophic military pressures of the 250s, when simultaneous invasions across the Rhine, Danube, and eastern frontiers made sole rule effectively impossible. The inclusion of the river god Xanthos in the coin's attribution reflects Cyme's assertion of regional mythological identity, the Xanthos being associated with Lycia rather than Aeolis proper, which makes its appearance here an unusual civic choice worth noting.