Æ30 - Gordian III ΕΠΙ ΓΡ ΑΘΗΝΟΔΩΡΟΥ ΜΑΓΝΗΤΩΝ

Magnesia ad Maeandrum's civic bronze issues under Gordian III name a local magistrate — here Athenodoros, whose title ΕΠΙ ΓΡ (ἐπὶ γραμματέως) identifies him as grammateus, the city's chief secretary. The grammateus held real administrative weight in Greek Asia under Roman rule, and the practice of placing his name on coinage was as much a record of civic office as it was a minting authorization. Magnesia produced a notably active civic bronze series during Gordian's reign before the broader cessation of Greek provincial coinage under Diocletian rendered such local issues obsolete within a generation.