Æ30 - Elagabalus ΕΠΙ Γ ΦΙΛΟΥΜΕΝΟΥ Β ΜΑΓΝΗΤΩΝ

Magnesia ad Maeandrum flourished under the Roman imperial period partly on the strength of its claim to be the birthplace of the general Themistocles — a civic boast the city leveraged aggressively in its coinage and public monuments. Issues naming a local magistrate, here Philoumenos in his second term, reflect the Conventus of Miletus arrangement under which Greek cities retained nominal administrative autonomy while Roman provincial oversight remained firmly in place. Elagabalus's brief, chaotic reign produced a surge of provincial bronze output as eastern mints rushed to acknowledge a new emperor whose power base had been entirely Syrian.