Æ29 - Gordian III ΜΑΓΝΗΤΩΝ ΕΒΔΟΜΗ ΤΗϹ ΑϹΙΑϹ

The title ΕΒΔΟΜΗ ΤΗϹ ΑϹΙΑϹ — "Seventh of Asia" — was a hard-won honorific ranking Magnesia ad Maeandrum among the leading cities of the Asian conventus, a status cities competed for aggressively through imperial flattery, embassy missions to Rome, and the sponsorship of games. Gordian III's reign saw a spike in such civic titulature on provincial bronze, as cities rushed to secure or consolidate their rank while a teenage emperor and his advisors were still consolidating power after the chaos of 238.