Pseudo-autonomous bronze issue from Hermocapelia in Lydia, dated to circa AD 100–150, belongs to a distinctive group of civic coinages in which the image of the reigning emperor is replaced by personifications and institutions of the Roman state, emphasizing the ideological connection of the city to the empire.
The obverse features a bust of Roma facing right with the Greek legend ΘΕΑ ΡΩ ΕΡΜΟΚΑΠΗΛΙΤ, identifying Roma as a “goddess” and referring to the community of the city’s inhabitants. In provincial coinage, the personification of Roma symbolized the power and universal character of the Roman state, and her presence on pseudo-autonomous issues expressed loyalty to Rome while preserving local civic identity.
The reverse depicts a bust of the Senate facing right, with the legend ΙΕΡΑ ϹΥΝΚΛΗΤΟϹ, meaning “sacred Senate.” Representations of the Senate are relatively rare in provincial coinage and carry a clearly ideological message, referring to the traditional institutions of the Roman state and their authority. The combination of Roma and the Senate on a single coin creates a coherent propagandistic statement, emphasizing the foundational pillars of Roman power.
Roman Provincial
Lydia, Hermocapelia, Pseudo-autonomous, AE 100-150
Obverse: turreted and draped bust of Roma right
ΘΕΑ ΡΩ ΕΡΜΟΚΑΠΗΛΙΤ
Reverse: draped bust of Senate right
ΙΕΡΑ ϹΥΝΚΛΗΤΟϹ
Diameter 18 mm, weight 2.99 g
