Æ17 - Nero ΝΕΙΚΗ Π(Π)ΠΑΙΑ ΖΜΥ(Ρ)

Smyrna was among the most aggressively competitive cities in the Roman province of Asia when it came to imperial flattery, and local bronze issues under Nero reflect that rivalry directly. The city held the title of *neokoros* — warden of an imperial cult temple — and civic coinage functioned partly as a public advertisement of that status and of loyalty to Rome. The magistrate name partially preserved in the legend (ΠΠ or ΠΑ reading) remains disputed among RPC editors, with die links to related Neronian issues from the same conventus still unresolved.