Æ30 - Severus Alexander ΑΠΗΜΗ ΙΕΡΑ ΕΦΕϹΙΩΝ (or ΕΦΕϹΙΩΝ ΑΠΗΜΗ ΙΕΡΑ)

The title ΑΠΗΜΗ ΙΕΡΑ — "inviolable and sacred" — was among the most politically charged honorifics a city could hold under the Roman imperial system, and Ephesus fought tenaciously to retain it against rival Smyrna and Pergamon throughout the second and third centuries. The designation conferred real legal protections, including asylum rights for fugitives within temple precincts, and disputes over its application were adjudicated directly by the Senate in Rome.

Severus Alexander's reign saw renewed civic investment in the title's promotion across provincial bronzes, partly as reciprocation for the city's loyalty following the chaos of Elagabalus.