Æ43 - Philip I ΑΡΟΥΝ ΝΕΙΚΟΜΑΧΟϹ ΑΡΧΙΕΡΕΥϹ ΑΡΧ Α ΤΟ Β ΤΗΜΕΝΟΘΥΡΕΥϹΙ

Temenothyrae was a minor Lydian city whose civic coinage depended almost entirely on the personal ambition of local magistrates willing to fund strikes from their own resources — the archiereus named in this legend, Arous Neimachos, held both the high priesthood and the archonship, likely financing this oversized bronze himself as a public display of status. Cities in the Sardis conventus rarely produced medallion-scale bronzes without a specific civic occasion or imperial visit to justify the expense.

Philip I's reign saw a surge in provincial bronze output across Asia Minor, partly driven by his celebration of Rome's millennial games in 248 AD and the associated wave of civic loyalty demonstrations.