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Æ17 - Marcus Aurelius ΝΕΙΚΑΙΕΩΝ
| Issuer | Nicaea (Bithynia and Pontus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 161-169 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 3.59 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | Bust of the nymph Nicaea, eponymous deity of the city, facing right, her hair adorned with an ivy wreath in reference to her mythological identity as a Dionysiac figure. The portrait is rendered in low to medium relief consistent with provincial hammered bronze coinage of the Antonine period. The ethnic legend ΝΕΙΚΑΙΕΩΝ encircles the design, identifying the issuing city. A dotted border runs along the coin's irregular periphery. |
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| Additional information |
Nicaea's civic bronze issues under Marcus Aurelius were produced during a period when the city was aggressively asserting its primacy over rival Nicomedia — a dispute that consumed both cities for generations and occasionally drew imperial arbitration. Local magistrates used coin issues partly as vehicles for that rivalry, funding types that emphasized civic prestige.
At 17mm and just over 3.5g, this falls among the lighter end of Nicaean bronze production, suggesting a subsidiary denomination in local circulation rather than a prestige emission.