Æ29 - Caracalla ΝΙΚΟΜΗΔΕΩΝ ΔΙϹ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ

Nicomedia's claim to the title ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ — "twice temple warden" — was a matter of fierce civic rivalry in Roman Bithynia. The city had competed aggressively with Nicaea and Pergamon for the honor of hosting imperial cult temples, and the double neokorate status reflected two separate grants from Rome, each won through diplomatic lobbying and substantial local expenditure. Caracalla's reign saw several Bithynian cities pressing these claims hard, using coin issues as public declarations of standing.