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Æ29 - Gordian III ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΕΝ ΙΩΝΙΑ
| Issuer | Metropolis (Ionia) (Conventus of Ephesus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 238-244 |
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| Reference(s) | RPC VII.1#454.4 |
| Obverse description | Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Emperor Gordian III facing right, depicted three-quarter from the rear, rendering the paludamentum and segmented cuirass in fine relief. The emperor's youthful effigy is rendered in the provincial style characteristic of Ionian civic coinage of the mid-third century AD. The Greek imperial legend encircles the bust within the field, reading from left to right. |
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| Mintage | ND (238-244) |
| Additional information |
Metropolis in Ionia was a minor civic center whose coinage output was modest and tightly clustered around the Severan and early post-Severan periods. The title ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΕΝ ΙΩΝΙΑ — "Metropolis among those in Ionia" — reflects a recurring civic preoccupation with asserting status relative to neighboring cities, particularly within the competitive honorific framework overseen by the Ephesian conventus. Such title claims on bronze provincial coinage were not merely decorative; they were lobbied for in Rome and could affect a city's tax obligations and judicial standing.
Gordian III's reign saw a notable surge in provincial bronze production across western Anatolia, partly filling the gap left by increasingly debased imperial silver.