Æ36 - Severus Alexander ΜΟΝΩΝ ΠΡΩΤΩΝ ΑϹΙΑϹ ΕΦΕϹΙΩΝ

Ephesus held the title prōtē — first city of Asia — with ferocious civic pride, and the boast inscribed on coins like this one was not mere flattery but an active assertion in a long-running rivalry with Smyrna and Pergamon over metropolitan precedence. The three cities lobbied Rome repeatedly for recognition, and emperors parceled out honorifics carefully to manage the competition. Under Severus Alexander, Ephesus held firm in its claim.

At 36mm this is a substantial civic bronze, struck for local prestige rather than everyday exchange.