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Æ25 - Gallienus (sole reign) (ΗΡΑΚΛΕΩΤΑΝ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ)
| Issuer | Heraclea Pontica (Bithynia and Pontus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 260-268 |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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| Obverse lettering | Π Λ ΓΑΛΛΗΝΟϹ ϹΕΒ (Translation: Publius Licinnius Gallienus Augustus) |
| Reverse description | Heracles depicted standing left, his head turned to the right in a dynamic contrapposto pose, referencing the mythological patron of Heraclea Pontica. In his extended left arm he holds a bow and the Nemean lion skin, while his right hand grasps the characteristic knotted club. The composition directly invokes the city's divine founder and reflects the neocorate status of Heraclea Pontica. The reverse legend encircles the field in two lines, proclaiming the city's honorific religious title. The type is a well-established civic design for this mint during the reign of Gallienus. |
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Heraclea Pontica jealously guarded its status as a neokoros city — an officially recognized keeper of an imperial cult — and the legend ΗΡΑΚΛΕΩΤΑΝ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ on coins of this type was not ceremonial decoration but a civic assertion, issued at a moment when Gallienus was fighting on multiple fronts and imperial favor was worth advertising loudly. The city had a long habit of political survival, having negotiated its way through Hellenistic dynastic collapses and Roman annexation without losing its institutional identity.
Gallienus granted or confirmed neokoros status to several cities during his sole reign, likely as a tool for shoring up eastern loyalty after the capture of his father Valerian by Shapur I in 260.