Æ18 - Commodus ΚΥΖΙΚΗΝΩΝ

Cyzicus, positioned on the Propontis at the entrance to the Black Sea, was one of the wealthiest and most strategically significant cities in Asia Minor — a status that earned it the coveted title of neokoros, granted by Rome as recognition of its imperial cult responsibilities. Bronze civic issues of this period were produced entirely at the city's own expense and initiative, circulating locally for small transactions the imperial silver coinage was too valuable to handle. The years covered by this piece coincide with Commodus's increasingly erratic rule from Rome, culminating in his assassination on the final day of 192.