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Æ33 - Septimius Severus ϹΕΟΥΗΡΕΙΑ ΦΙΛΑΔΕΛΦΕΙΑ ΝΙΚΑΙΕΩΝ
| Issuer | Nicaea (Bithynia and Pontus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 193-211 |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | Central type depicting an agonistic crown of the stephanephoric type, inscribed with the legend ΙΕΡΟϹ ΑΓΩΝ, surmounted by two crossed palm branches rising from within the crown, symbolising victory in sacred games. The crown is rendered with a layered, beaded or pellet-decorated structure typical of agonistic iconography on provincial coinage. The encircling field legend identifies the games as the Severan Philadelphian contest instituted at Nicaea in honour of the emperor. The overall composition is characteristic of the agonistic reverse types prevalent in Bithynian civic coinage under the Severan dynasty. |
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Nicaea's civic bronze issues under Septimius Severus reflect the city's aggressive courtship of imperial favor during the civil wars of 193 AD, when Severus moved rapidly against Pescennius Niger — whose base of support lay heavily in the eastern provinces, including Bithynia. Cities that demonstrated early loyalty were rewarded with honorific recognition, and the ϹΕΟΥΗΡΕΙΑ ΦΙΛΑΔΕΛΦΕΙΑ games celebrated in this coin's legend were almost certainly among those concessions, linking Nicaea's civic identity directly to the new dynasty's name.