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Æ29 - Marcus Aurelius ΓΛΥΚΩΝ ΙΩΝΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ
| Issuer | Ionopolis (Abonoteichos), Paphlagonia |
|---|---|
| Year | 161-169 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 16.08 g |
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| Obverse description | Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Lucius Verus facing right, wearing paludamentum over cuirass, rendered in the provincial Greek style characteristic of Paphlagonian civic coinage. The portrait is set within a dotted border, with the Greek imperial titulature arranged as a circumferential legend around the bust. The engraving displays the broad, slightly schematic modeling typical of Pontic provincial workshops of the mid-second century AD. |
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| Mintage | ND (161-169) |
| Additional information |
Ionopolis minted this bronze during the height of the Glycon cult — the snake oracle established by the charlatan Alexander of Abonoteichus, whose theatrical prophecies drew pilgrims from across the Roman world and whose influence was skewered in devastating detail by Lucian of Samosata. The city had renamed itself Ionopolis in part to elevate its status alongside the cult's growing prestige.
The cult operated with sufficient political clout to appear on civic coinage across multiple reigns, a remarkable commercial and religious achievement for a minor Pontic coastal town.