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Æ31 - Caracalla ΚΟΙΝΟΝ ΚΥΠΡΙΩΝ
| Issuer | Koinon of Cyprus |
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| Year | 198-217 |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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| Obverse description | Laureate, draped bust of Caracalla facing right, the emperor depicted with short beard and paludamentum visible on the left shoulder. The effigy is rendered in the characteristic vigorous style of provincial Cypriot coinage, with bold relief. A circular legend in Greek surrounds the portrait within a beaded border. |
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| Reverse description | Depiction of the renowned Temple of Aphrodite at Palaipaphos, shown in frontal elevation with the canonical aniconic xoanon (sacred betyl) displayed within the central cella, flanked by a star on each side. A crescent and star adorn the area above the roof, while candelabra occupy the side chambers with doves perched above them. Below, a paved semicircular walled forecourt is rendered in perspective, conveying the architectural grandeur of this celebrated Cypriot sanctuary. The reverse legend in Greek frames the composition. |
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| Additional information |
The Koinon of Cyprus — the provincial assembly representing Cypriot cities collectively under Roman administration — held the unusual privilege of issuing its own bronze coinage, a concession that reflected both the island's wealth and Rome's administrative pragmatism in the eastern provinces. Under Caracalla, the Koinon struck extensively, likely timed around imperial cult observances at the sanctuary of Aphrodite at Paphos, which remained the religious and political focal point of the island's civic identity throughout the imperial period.
The V.3 reference places this within Vogt's classification of Cypriot provincial issues — a catalog notoriously difficult to work with given inconsistent die-linkage documentation.