Æ40 - Gordian III ΕΠ ϹΤ ΚΟ ΦΟΥΡΙΟΥ ΑΠΟΛΟΦΑΝΟΥ ΜΥΡΕΙΝΑΙΩΝ

Myrina was a minor Aeolian coastal city that punched above its weight in the third century by securing the right to strike bronze coinage under its own civic authority — a privilege tied directly to the goodwill of Roman provincial administration. The magistrate name preserved in the legend, Furius Apollophanes, is rare enough in the epigraphic record that this issue serves as one of the few attestations of his office. Gordian III's reign saw a surge in civic bronze production across Asia Minor as central silver coinage deteriorated, effectively pushing prestige spending back to the local level.