Æ30 - Septimius Severus ΚΥΖΙΚΗΝΩΝ, ΝΕΟΚΟΡ

Cyzicus held the title of neokoros — temple warden of the imperial cult — with considerable civic pride, and its coinage under Septimius Severus reflects the city's eagerness to advertise that status to the wider Roman world. The designation ΝΕΟΚΟΡ on this issue is a pointed assertion: Cyzicus had earned the right to maintain an imperial temple, a distinction that brought prestige, pilgrims, and revenue. Severus was generous in granting or confirming such honors to eastern cities that backed him during his civil war against Pescennius Niger, and Cyzicus was firmly in his camp.