Æ25 - Severus Alexander ΤΡΙϹ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ ΝΙΚΟΜΗΔΕΩΝ

Nicomedia's claim to the title ΤΡΙϹ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ — "thrice temple warden" — was bitterly contested by its rival Nicaea, and the two cities spent decades lobbying emperors and the Roman Senate for neokorate honors. Nicomedia secured its third neokorate under Elagabalus, and Severus Alexander's accession did nothing to diminish the city's eagerness to advertise the distinction on its bronze coinage. The rivalry was less ceremonial than economic: neokorate status brought imperial cult festivals, which drove significant trade and civic revenue.