Æ29 - Elagabalus Δ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ ΕΦΕϹΙΩΝ

Ephesus held the title of neokoros — temple warden — multiple times over, and the delta on this issue signals a fourth such grant, a distinction the city pursued aggressively through embassies to Rome and lavish demonstrations of imperial loyalty. Under Elagabalus, whose legitimacy rested entirely on his claimed descent from Caracalla, provincial cities had strong incentive to mint prolifically in his name and display their honours visibly. The Ephesian mint was among the most active in Asia Minor throughout his short reign.