Æ25 - Valerian and Gallienus ΕФΕϹΙΩΝ Δ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ

Ephesus held the title of neokoros — temple warden — four times over, a distinction aggressively pursued through petition to Rome and fiercely advertised on civic coinage. The Δ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ legend on this issue marks that fourth grant, which the city secured during the joint reign of Valerian and Gallienus, likely tied to the imperial cult accommodations both emperors were motivated to extend as they scrambled for loyalty across a crumbling eastern frontier. Shapur I's capture of Valerian at the Battle of Edessa in 260 AD effectively ended the co-regency's coherence, making issues attributable to both emperors increasingly difficult to date precisely within the fifteen-year window.