Æ22 - Septimius Severus ΒΙΘΥΝΙΕΩΝ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΩΝ

Bithynium-Claudiopolis held particular significance for the Severan dynasty because it was the birthplace of Antinous, the famously beloved companion of Hadrian — a connection the city had leveraged for generations to secure imperial favor and elevated civic status. The city's double name itself reflects that relationship: "Claudiopolis" was its older Claudian foundation title, while the Hadrianic honorific was added after Antinous's death in 130 AD transformed the town into something of a minor cult center. Septimius Severus, keen to associate his reign with Hadrianic precedent, extended goodwill toward cities that carried Hadrian's name.