Æ26 - Septimius Severus ΙΛΙΕΩΝ

Ilium — the city built over the ruins of ancient Troy — issued coins like this one partly as civic propaganda, leaning hard on its mythological heritage to elevate its status within the Roman provincial hierarchy. The Conventus of Adramyteum was not among the most prestigious administrative districts in Asia Minor, and Ilium's constant invocation of its Homeric past was a deliberate strategy for punching above its weight.

Septimius Severus had a particular interest in the site: ancient sources record that he visited the Troad and made offerings at the tomb of Ajax.