Catalog
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| Issuer | Nicomedia (Bithynia and Pontus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 193-211 |
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| Reference(s) | RPC V.2#73493 |
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| Reverse description | Frontal view of a tetrastyle or octastyle temple set upon a stepped podium, with eight columns supporting an entablature and triangular pediment; a pellet appears within the pediment as a decorative or symbolic element. The architectural rendering is typical of neocorate coinage from Bithynia, commemorating the imperial cult temple at Nicomedia. The Greek civic legend encircles the field, proudly proclaiming the city's twice-granted neocorate status. Steps are visible at the base of the podium, and the overall composition emphasizes the monumental character of the sanctuary. |
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| Reverse lettering | ΝΙΚΟΜΗΔΕΩΝ ΔΙϹ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ (Translation: of the Nicomedians, twice neocorate) |
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| Additional information |
Nicomedia's claim to the title ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ — "twice temple warden" — was a fiercely political distinction, earned through the establishment of two imperial cult temples and jealously defended against rival Bithynian cities, particularly Nicaea, in a civic prestige war that ran through the Severan period and beyond. The designation on this coin is not decorative; it was a formal honor granted by Rome and advertised on bronze coinage precisely because that coinage circulated locally, where the rivalry was felt.