Æ33 - Caracalla ΑΥΡ ΑΝΤΩΝΕΙΝΙΑΝΩΝ, ΚΥΖΙΚΗΝΩΝ ΔΙϹ ΝΕΟΚΟΡΩΝ

Cyzicus held the title of "twice neocorate" — twice temple warden of the imperial cult — an honor granted in two stages and fiercely competed for among the cities of Asia Minor. The inscription ΔΙϹ ΝΕΟΚΟΡΩΝ advertises exactly this status, making the coin as much a civic proclamation as a piece of currency. Neocorate privileges carried real economic weight: festival rights, asylum status, and the prestige that drew trade and visitors to the city's sanctuary.

Cyzicus was among the wealthiest ports on the Propontis, and its bronze civic coinage under Caracalla is notably heavy — this piece is no exception.