Æ27 - Gordian III ΟΔΗϹϹΕΙΤΩΝ, Ε

Odessos, the Black Sea Greek colony on the Thracian coast, maintained its civic coinage well into the third century under Roman oversight — an arrangement that allowed provincial cities to strike bronze for local use while Rome controlled precious metal. The countermark Ε appearing on issues of this type has been variously interpreted as a denomination marker or a validation stamp, possibly applied by a regional authority to authorize continued circulation during the monetary turbulence of Gordian III's reign.