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Æ18 - Trajan ΝΕΙΚΟΜ ΠΡΩΤ ΒΙΘΥ
| Issuer | Nicomedia (Bithynia and Pontus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 98-117 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 2.90 g |
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| Reverse description | A cornucopia oriented to the right occupies the central field, symbolizing abundance and prosperity associated with the city of Nicomedia. The design is rendered in typical provincial style, with the device surrounded by a circular Greek legend along the coin's periphery identifying the issuing city and its primacy within Bithynia. |
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| Mintage | ND (98-117) |
| Additional information |
Nicomedia's persistent civic boast — encoded in the abbreviation ΝΕΙΚΟΜ ΠΡΩΤ ΒΙΘΥ, asserting primacy over Bithynia — reflects a bitter, decades-long rivalry with Nicaea over which city held the province's first rank. The dispute was acrimonious enough that Pliny the Younger, serving as Trajan's special legate to Bithynia-Pontus around 110 AD, reported the quarrel to the emperor directly. Trajan's response was characteristically terse: the title was honorific and both cities should stop embarrassing themselves over it.