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| Issuer | Sardes (Conventus of Sardis) |
|---|---|
| Year | 198-217 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Julia Domna facing right, her hair elaborately coiffed in the characteristic Severan style with waves swept back and gathered at the nape. The empress is rendered with naturalistic portrait detail typical of provincial coinage of the Severan period. The Greek legend encircles the effigy in the field. The flan is somewhat irregular, consistent with hand-struck provincial bronze coinage. |
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| Obverse lettering | ΙΟΥΛΙΑ ϹΕΒΑϹΤΗ (Translation: Julia Augusta) |
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| Additional information |
Sardis held the neokorate — the right to maintain an imperial cult temple — twice by Caracalla's reign, a status fiercely competed for among Asian cities and confirmed only by senatorial decree in Rome. The inscription naming the archon Rufus dates this issue to a specific magistracy term, making it useful for pinning civic chronology even where literary sources are silent. The provincial koinon of Asia used coinage like this partly to advertise a city's cultic rank to neighboring rivals.