Æ27 - Valerian and Gallienus ΕΦΕϹΙΩΝ Γ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ

Ephesus held the title of neokoros — temple warden — multiple times over, and the Γ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ legend on this issue announces its third such honor, a distinction aggressively pursued through the imperial cult and requiring direct petition to Rome. The joint reign of Valerian and Gallienus, father and son ruling simultaneously as co-emperors from 253, gave provincial mints an unusual opportunity: honoring both rulers on a single civic issue carried distinct diplomatic weight during a period when the empire was fracturing under simultaneous pressure from Sassanid Persia in the east and Gothic incursions across the Danube.

Valerian's capture by Shapur I at the Battle of Edessa in 260 effectively ended the co-regency's coherence and terminated most joint provincial issues. This piece falls somewhere within that seven-year window.