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Æ46 - Septimius Severus ΕΠΙ ϹΤΡ ΚΟΡΝΗΛΙΑΝΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΦΙΛΩ Λ ΦΙΛΩΤΑ (sic), ΜΥΤΙΛΗΝΑΙΩΝ
| Issuer | Mytilene (Conventus of Pergamum) |
|---|---|
| Year | 193-211 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Confronted laureate busts of Caracalla, facing right, and Geta, facing left, both with draped shoulders visible. The two imperial effigies are rendered in the provincial Greek style typical of Lesbos coinage, with bold relief and detailed wreath work. A Greek imperial legend runs around the periphery, partially legible, naming both co-emperors in their full titulature. The flan is large and irregular, characteristic of the Mytilenaean Æ medallion series. The surfaces show original brown-green patina with areas of golden highlights. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Mytilene, the dominant city of Lesbos, issued civic bronzes under named strategoi whose tenures can sometimes be cross-referenced across multiple coin types — the strategos Kornēlianos, son of Philōtas, appears in the magistrate inscription here with the telling "(sic)" indicating a scribal or die-cutter's error in the name rendering, a not uncommon occurrence in provincial bronze production where the engraver occasionally conflated or abbreviated the patronymic. The sheer size of this piece — a provincial giant by any measure — signals that Mytilene was producing prestige bronzes for display or ceremonial distribution rather than everyday exchange during the Severan reign.