Odessos, the Greek colonial city on the Black Sea coast of Moesia Inferior (modern Varna, Bulgaria), maintained its own civic bronze coinage through the Severan and early Gordian periods largely because imperial silver didn't penetrate regional markets reliably enough to handle small transactions. Under Gordian III, the city struck prolifically — his reign accounts for a substantial share of all surviving Odessan bronzes. The municipal mint ceased operations entirely after his death in 244, making this among the last issues the city ever produced.
Odessos, the Greek colonial city on the Black Sea coast of Moesia Inferior (modern Varna, Bulgaria), maintained its own civic bronze coinage through the Severan and early Gordian periods largely because imperial silver didn't penetrate regional markets reliably enough to handle small transactions. Under Gordian III, the city struck prolifically — his reign accounts for a substantial share of all surviving Odessan bronzes. The municipal mint ceased operations entirely after his death in 244, making this among the last issues the city ever produced.