Æ19 - Septimius Severus ϹΑΡΔΙΑΝΩΝ Β ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ

Sardes held the title of neokoros — official keeper of an imperial cult temple — twice over by the Severan period, a status aggressively pursued by Asian cities as a mark of Roman favor and a driver of festival revenue. The Β ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ designation on this issue is the city advertising that standing in bronze, as much civic propaganda as coinage.