Æ27 - Severus Alexander ΚΥΖΙΚΗΝΩΝ ΝΕΟΚ

Cyzicus held neokorate status — the honor of maintaining an imperial cult temple — multiple times over, and coins asserting this distinction were as much diplomatic currency as commercial ones. The city lobbied hard for each neokorate grant, and the title's appearance on bronze issues like this one was a pointed reminder to Rome that Cyzicus remained a loyal and prominent partner in the imperial religious apparatus.

Severus Alexander's reign saw an unusual volume of civic bronze production across western Asia Minor, partly because his mother Julia Mamaea actively cultivated provincial goodwill.