Æ19 - Marcus Aurelius C I F SINOPE

Sinope, a Black Sea colony founded by Miletus in the seventh century BC, retained its status as a Roman colonia under the designation Colonia Iulia Felix — hence the C I F on these civic bronzes. By the time of Marcus Aurelius, the city's colonial coinage had been running for over two centuries since Julius Caesar's refoundation in 45 BC, and the municipal mint exercised considerable autonomy in its output. These small bronzes circulated locally through the grain and fishing trade that defined Sinope's economy well into the imperial period.