Æ33 - Septimius Severus ϹΕΟΥΗΡΕΙΑ ΦΙΛΑΔΕΛΦΕΙΑ ΝΙΚΑΙΕΩΝ

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.