Nicaea was one of the most prolific provincial minting cities in Bithynia, and issues under Septimius Severus reflect the city's eagerness to align with the new dynasty following the chaos of 193 AD — the Year of the Four Emperors. Severus moved quickly to legitimize his rule through provincial coinage, and cities like Nicaea obliged with a volume of small bronzes that kept his image circulating at the street level throughout the eastern provinces.
The city's rivalry with neighboring Nicomedia for the title of regional primacy ran through this entire period, visible in the competitive frequency of civic bronze issues.
Nicaea was one of the most prolific provincial minting cities in Bithynia, and issues under Septimius Severus reflect the city's eagerness to align with the new dynasty following the chaos of 193 AD — the Year of the Four Emperors. Severus moved quickly to legitimize his rule through provincial coinage, and cities like Nicaea obliged with a volume of small bronzes that kept his image circulating at the street level throughout the eastern provinces.
The city's rivalry with neighboring Nicomedia for the title of regional primacy ran through this entire period, visible in the competitive frequency of civic bronze issues.