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Æ29 - Trajan Decius ΕΦΕϹΙΩΝ Α ΑϹΙΑϹ
| Issuer | Ephesus (Conventus of Ephesus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 249-251 |
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| Reference(s) | RPC IX#622 |
| Obverse description | Draped bust of Herennia Etruscilla, diademed, facing right, with a crescent positioned at the shoulders — an attribute commonly associated with her imperial portraiture. The hair is elaborately coiffed in the fashionable style of the mid-third century, rendered with fine engraved lines. The effigy is presented in high relief against a flat field, with the encircling Greek legend running along the border. The portrait exhibits the naturalistic yet idealized style characteristic of provincial civic coinage struck under Trajan Decius. |
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| Obverse lettering | ΕΡΕΝ ΕΤΡΟΥϹΚΙΛΛΑ ϹΕΒ (Translation: Herennia Etruscilla Augusta) |
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Ephesus held the title primera — first city of Asia — jealously, and the ΕΦΕϹΙΩΝ Α ΑϹΙΑϹ inscription on civic bronzes was a direct assertion of that precedence over rival Smyrna, which contested the designation throughout the third century. The competition was not merely ceremonial: it determined which city hosted the imperial cult, controlled associated revenues, and attracted the prestige of provincial assemblies.
Trajan Decius reigned barely two years before dying at the Battle of Abritus in June 251, the first Roman emperor killed in battle against a foreign enemy. Provincial bronze production under his name is consequently limited in duration.