Æ19 - Hadrian ΚΥ-ΖΙ

Cyzicus, one of the wealthiest cities on the Propontis, held the rare privilege of continuous bronze coinage under Roman oversight largely because of its strategic position controlling trade routes between the Aegean and the Black Sea. The city's civic minting activity during Hadrian's reign reflects his broader policy of encouraging local identity within Roman administrative structures — he visited the region during his eastern tours and reportedly took a personal interest in the city's famous temple to himself, left unfinished at his death.