Æ21 - Maximinus ϹΜΥΡΝΑΙΩΝ Γ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ

Smyrna held the title of neokoros — temple warden of the imperial cult — three times, a distinction it pursued aggressively and advertised on its coinage throughout the third century. The city had lobbied hard for each grant, and the triple neokorate designation on this issue reflects status won under earlier emperors, still being milked for civic prestige under Maximinus. Maximinus never visited the eastern provinces; he spent his entire reign on the Rhine and Danube frontiers, making provincially-struck coins like this one the primary medium through which his image circulated in Asia Minor.