Struck during the reign of Septimius Severus (193–211 AD), this piece features Annona, the Roman personification of the grain supply, who wasn’t a goddess in the traditional sense but a symbol cooked up by the empire to reinforce a key message: The emperor feeds the people. Annona’s presence on coins was especially relevant to Alexandria, where Egyptian grain shipments kept Rome alive. Holding this coin is holding a fragment of that system — a tool that broadcast imperial power, stability, and abundance across the empire.