Name/Title
CE 0209 - 0211 Septimius Severus Provincial Bronze Dionysopolis, Phrygia (Roman Asia Minor)Description
Septimius Severus Provincial Bronze
Dionysopolis, Phrygia (Roman Asia Minor)
AD 209–211
Bronze (AE), 21.5 mm, 5.59 g
This provincial bronze was struck during the reign of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus (AD 193–211) at Dionysopolis, a city in the Roman province of Phrygia (modern western Turkey). Unlike imperial coinage issued at Rome, provincial coins often celebrated the identity, institutions, and religious traditions of individual cities.
The obverse depicts the veiled and draped personification of the Sacred Council (Hiera Boule), the city’s governing body, with the Greek inscription ΙΕΡΑ ΒΟΥΛΗ (“Sacred Council”). Rather than portraying the emperor, the coin emphasizes the importance of civic government in the administration of the eastern Roman provinces.
The reverse features the cult statue of Artemis Ephesia, one of the most recognizable religious images of the ancient Mediterranean. Originating in nearby Ephesus, this distinctive form of Artemis symbolized fertility, protection, and prosperity. Her cult spread widely throughout western Asia Minor, and many neighboring cities adopted her image on their coinage as an expression of regional identity and religious devotion. The surrounding inscription, ΔΙΟΝΥΣΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ, identifies the coin as belonging to “the people of Dionysopolis.”
Although struck under Roman rule, this coin reflects the enduring importance of Greek language, local civic institutions, and regional religious traditions more than two centuries after Rome incorporated Asia Minor into the empire.
Obverse: Veiled and draped bust of the Sacred Council (Hiera Boule) right.
Reverse: Cult statue of Artemis Ephesia standing facing.
Reference: Von Aulock, Phrygien II, 75–81.Create Date
July 30, 2026Update Date
August 24, 2026
