Æ24 - Commodus ΜΗΤ ΝΕΩ ΝΕΙΚΟΜΗΔΕΙΑϹ

Nicomedia's civic bronze coinage under Commodus reflects the city's aggressive pursuit of status during a period when Bithynian cities were locked in bitter rivalry over honorific titles. The abbreviation ΜΗΤ ΝΕΩ — referencing Nicomedia's claim as "new metropolis" — was a direct provocation to Nicaea, its neighbor and perpetual competitor, which held its own rival title claims throughout the second century.