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Æ34 - Septimius Severus ΝΙΚΟΜΗΔΕΩΝ ΔΙϹ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ
| Issuer | Nicomedia (Bithynia and Pontus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 193-211 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed bust of Geta as Caesar facing right, draped and cuirassed, with the paludamentum visible over the left shoulder, rendered in three-quarter frontal perspective. The portrait displays the characteristic youthful features and short curly hair of Geta, with fine detailing in the cuirass and drapery folds. The circular Greek legend surrounds the effigy, reading Λ ϹΕΠΤΙΜΙ ΓΕΤΑϹ ΚΑΙϹ, identifying him as Lucius Septimius Geta Caesar. The flan is broad and slightly irregular, characteristic of provincial bronze coinage from Bithynia. |
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| Mintage | ND (193-211) |
| Additional information |
Nicomedia's claim to the title ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ — "twice temple warden" — was not ceremonial vanity. The designation reflected imperial cult status granted by Rome, and cities competed bitterly for each iteration of it. Nicomedia had long rivaled Nicaea for primacy in Bithynia, and securing a second neocorate during the Severan period was a pointed assertion of that rivalry, almost certainly requiring substantial civic investment in temple construction and imperial flattery.
Severus himself visited the eastern provinces extensively during his campaigns against Pescennius Niger, and Nicomedia, sitting astride the main route into Asia Minor, was strategically placed to cultivate his favor early.