Æ15 - Antoninus Pius ΑΚΤΙΑ

Nicopolis ad Actium was founded by Augustus on the site of his camp before the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, and the city's coins bearing the ΑΚΤΙΑ legend reference the Actia games — a festival Augustus elevated to Panhellenic status as a direct piece of victor's propaganda. Under Antoninus Pius, provincial bronze issues from Nicopolis were small and lightly struck, and at 1.43g this piece sits toward the lower end of the weight range documented for the series.