Æ24 - Marcus Aurelius ΝΙΚΑΙΕΩΝ

Nicaea was one of the dominant cities of Bithynia, perpetually in civic rivalry with Nicomedia over which held the title of provincial capital — a dispute that generated enormous output of civic bronze coinage as each city competed for imperial favor and public prestige. Issues under Marcus Aurelius fall squarely within that competitive tradition. The city's claim to preeminence rested partly on its role as site of the 325 AD Council, though that distinction lay a century and a half in the future during this coin's circulation.