Æ17 - Commodus ΘΗϹΕΑ ΝΙΚΑΙΕΙϹ

Nicaea's civic bronze issues under Commodus reflect the city's aggressive use of coinage to promote its mythological identity — Theseus appearing here ties the city's self-presentation to Athenian heroic tradition, a claim Nicaean civic pride pushed hard during the Antonine and Severan periods. The city and Nicomedia engaged in a prolonged rivalry over titles and honors throughout the second century, and coin iconography was a deliberate weapon in that contest.