CILICIA. Elaiussa-Sebaste. Pseudo-autonomous issue. AE (Bronze, 13 mm, 2.33 g, 7 h), time of Gordian III and Tranquillina, 241-244. NAYAPXIC Large crescent with star above. Rev. CЄBACTH Distyle aedicula; within, mummy-shapped cult-statue of Artemis standing facing on globe, head to right. BMC -. RPC -. SNG Copenhagen -. SNG Levante -. SNG Leypold -. SNG Paris -. SNG PFPS -. SNG von Aulock -. Ziegler -. Unpublished and unique, a very interesting issue. Very fine.

This lovely little coin is the first known pseudo-autonomous issue of Elaiussa-Sebaste after the rare Hellenistic-style coinage of the early first century AD (RPC I 3714-3716), and hence of great importance. It can be more closely dated to 241-244, as the obverse type first appears on the reverse of a coin of Tranquillina (Ziegler 574-575. For a coin of Tranquillina with the cult statue in aedicula-reverse, cf. Gorny & Mosch 215, 14 October 2013, 326). This goes along well with the plain and fully spelled out title and ethnic, as the former is usually abbreviated in earlier time. The honorary title NAYAPXIC, on the other hand, was granted to Elaiussa-Sebaste under Commodus: it refers to the importance of the island-city as a naval base in fighting pirates and protecting the important supply route to the Syrian army