Æ27 - Valerian and Gallienus ΝΙΚΟΜΗΔΕΩΝ ΔΙϹ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ

Nicomedia held the title of neokoros — official keeper of an imperial cult temple — twice over, a distinction reflected in the ΔΙϹ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ legend. The city lobbied aggressively for these honors under the Severans, and their retention into the joint reign of Valerian and Gallienus was a point of civic pride actively advertised on local bronze issues. Provincial mints like Nicomedia ceased production almost entirely by 268 under Gallienus's currency reforms, making the window for this type narrow.