Medal Ancient Rome (Pergamum) Severus Alexander, Zeus and Asklepios 222AD to 235AD

What a fantastic piece! First I thought this was an AE drachm from Alexandria, but the weight of almost 50 grams is far too high for that. After further research I can conclude that this is a rare medallion strike from Pergamon (Pergamum) in Mysia struck during the reign of the ever-'photogenic' Roman emperor Severus Alexander.

The reverse shows the deity Asklepios, an ancient Greek god and personification of medicine, standing with his well-known serpent-entwined staff that even today is used as a symbol of health-care and medicine. He is standing in front of an enthroned Zeus; a deity who should require no introduction.

The only other specimen I was able to find online had had its obverse obliterated in antiquity for some reason, but the reverse design and inscription match perfectly. The weight is lower, but given the general state of the coin, that is understandable.

The reverse legend is given as 'E?I CTP AVP NEI?OV ?EPGAMHN?N ?P?T?V NE?KOP?V'. I can clearly read the final two words on your medal. A transcription into Latin letters would be something like 'Epi. Str. Aur. Neilon. Pergamenon Protou Neokorou', with 'Aur[elion?] Neilon' being the name of the issuing town magistrate, and 'Pergamenon' the local name for the city.

This other specimen seen here was sold by vendor Rutten & Wieland on VCoins for 125 Swiss Francs, or about $130 US dollars. And this is with the obverse obliterated! I would expect the value of Classified's coin to be in the area of $600 to $1000 US dollars.

In the SNG von Aulock, this coin is listed as #7517. The catalog is expensive and I do not own it, but you may be able to find it at some major libraries. It may give a transcription of the obverse legend, a more accurate date, or some other interesting information.
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