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Æ35 - Septimius Severus ΑΛΑΒΑΝΔΕΩΝ
| Issuer | Alabanda (Conventus of Alabanda) |
|---|---|
| Year | 193-211 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | Apollo depicted standing facing, his head turned to the left, holding a raven in his outstretched right hand and an olive branch in his left hand. At his feet, a lyre rests upon a cippus (a small funerary or votive altar), symbolizing Apollo's role as god of music and prophecy. The reverse type reflects the strong civic religious identity of Alabanda in Caria, where Apollo was a principal deity. The ethnic legend ΑΛΑΒΑΝΔΕΩΝ is inscribed in the field around the figure, identifying the issuing city. The reverse die is well-centred despite the irregular and damaged flan. |
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| Additional information |
Alabanda, a city in Caria whose citizens were notorious enough for luxury and loose living that Cicero used them as a byword for decadence, struck bronze coinage under the Severan dynasty as part of the broader explosion of civic coinage across Asia Minor. The conventus system — Rome's circuit court arrangement — gave Alabanda administrative standing that translated directly into the privilege of minting. Severus's civil wars and subsequent eastern campaigns created strong demand for small-denomination bronze at the local level, and Carian cities responded with heavy, large-module issues exactly like this one.