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Æ36 - Severus Alexander ΤΕΤΡΑΚΙϹ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ ΕΦΕϹΙΩΝ
| Issuer | Ephesus (Conventus of Ephesus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 222-235 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Emperor Severus Alexander facing right, depicted from a rear three-quarter perspective, with the paludamentum fastened at the shoulder. The obverse legend encircles the effigy in Greek script, identifying the emperor with his full imperial titulature. The portrait reflects the standard provincial die-cutting style of the Ephesian mint, with attention to the cuirass detailing visible at the shoulder. The composition is typical of Severan-era provincial coinage from Asia Minor. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | ΑΥΤ Κ Μ ΑΥΡ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟϹ ΑΥΓ (Translation: Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Alexander Augustus) |
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| Additional information |
Ephesus held the title of neokoros — temple warden — multiple times over the imperial period, and the boast of four such honors, broadcast on this coin's reverse legend, reflects the city's relentless campaigning before the imperial court for each successive grant. The fourth neokorate came under Elagabalus or Severus Alexander, and its advertisement in civic bronze coinage was an act of civic pride bordering on propaganda: the title carried trade prestige, festival rights, and a direct claim on pilgrimage traffic across the Aegean.
Ephesus was the largest city in Roman Asia, and its mint output under Severus Alexander was substantial — which makes condition the decisive variable within this type.