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Æ28 - Gordian III ΟΔΗϹϹΕΙΤΩΝ, Ε, ΔΑΡΖΑΛΕΙΑ (on crown)
| Issuer | Odessos (Moesia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 238-244 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | An agonistic crown (stephanos) depicted in three-quarter view, adorned with two upright palm branches issuing from its interior, the whole resting on a low base. The crown bears the inscribed legend ΔΑΡΖΑΛΕΙΑ across its body, referencing the local festival of Darzaleia celebrated at Odessos. The ethnic legend ΟΔΗϹϹΕΙΤΩΝ arcs around the periphery, and the denomination mark Ε appears below the crown in the exergue, indicating the fifth denomination in the local civic bronze series. |
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| Additional information |
The Darzaleia were festival games held at Odessos in honor of the Thracian deity Darzalas, a chthonic god of abundance whose cult was deeply embedded in the city's religious life long before Roman administration formalized it. The festival name appearing on the crown is unusual epigraphic evidence — most provincial bronzes of this period mark agonistic issues through reverse type alone, not explicit inscription on the crown itself. The epsilon likely denotes the fifth occurrence of the games, giving this coin a precise place within the festival's documented sequence.