The homonoia ("concord") coinage struck between Ephesus and Hierapolis represents a specific diplomatic currency — cities of the Roman province of Asia periodically issued joint types to publicly affirm alliances, resolve trade disputes, or simply compete for prestige within the conventus system. Ephesus, as the dominant city of its conventus and self-styled "First and Greatest Metropolis of Asia," was an aggressive participant in these arrangements. The garbled secondary legend — ΤΡ where editors expect Β, noted as sic — suggests a die-cutter error uncorrected before striking, not an intentional variant.
The homonoia ("concord") coinage struck between Ephesus and Hierapolis represents a specific diplomatic currency — cities of the Roman province of Asia periodically issued joint types to publicly affirm alliances, resolve trade disputes, or simply compete for prestige within the conventus system. Ephesus, as the dominant city of its conventus and self-styled "First and Greatest Metropolis of Asia," was an aggressive participant in these arrangements. The garbled secondary legend — ΤΡ where editors expect Β, noted as sic — suggests a die-cutter error uncorrected before striking, not an intentional variant.