AR23 - Antoninus Pius L Κ

Year 20 of Antoninus Pius's reign, which is what the "L K" regnal date denotes, fell during a period of unusual administrative stability in Roman Egypt. The Alexandria mint dated its coins by regnal year rather than consular year — a practice inherited from Ptolemaic tradition that makes precise attribution straightforward but also underscores how thoroughly Egypt was administered as a personal imperial estate, separate in law and custom from the rest of the empire. Romans of senatorial rank were barred from even entering the province without explicit permission.