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.
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.