Nicaea was one of the most prolific civic minting authorities in Bithynia under Severan rule, issuing bronze coinage continuously across the full tenure of Septimius Severus. The city had a long rivalry with Nicomedia over which held primacy in the province — a competition that played out partly through the prestige of civic coin production and honorific titles claimed on the coinage itself.
At 2.06g and 15mm, this falls at the lighter end of the Nicaean Æ15 range, possibly reflecting die wear or flan preparation inconsistency rather than a deliberate weight reduction.
Nicaea was one of the most prolific civic minting authorities in Bithynia under Severan rule, issuing bronze coinage continuously across the full tenure of Septimius Severus. The city had a long rivalry with Nicomedia over which held primacy in the province — a competition that played out partly through the prestige of civic coin production and honorific titles claimed on the coinage itself.
At 2.06g and 15mm, this falls at the lighter end of the Nicaean Æ15 range, possibly reflecting die wear or flan preparation inconsistency rather than a deliberate weight reduction.