Æ33 - Septimius Severus ΕΠΙ ϹΤΡΑ ΚΛ ϹΤΡΑΤΟΝΕΙΚΟΥ, ϹΜΥΡΝΑΙΩΝ

Smyrna was among the most politically aggressive cities in Asia Minor when it came to courting imperial favor, and the reign of Septimius Severus gave it ample opportunity. The city backed Severus during the civil wars of 193 AD against the rival claimants Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus, a calculated alignment that paid dividends in civic privileges and honorific titles. The strategos named in this issue's legend — Klaudios Stratoneikos — was the local magistrate responsible for the bronze coinage, his name preserved here as a marker of civic administrative accountability.