Æ24 - Marcus Aurelius ΘΕΑ ΥΓΕΙΑ? ΝΙΚΑΙΕΙϹ

Nicaea's civic bronze issues under Marcus Aurelius belong to a period when Bithynian cities were aggressively competing for imperial honorifics — Nicaea and Nicomedia spent decades feuding over the title of "first city" of the province, a rivalry that played out partly through the volume and quality of locally struck coinage. The reverse deity, likely Hygieia given the tentative reading of ΘΕΑ ΥΓΕΙΑ, reflects the city's documented cultic interests rather than any imperial directive.

The uncertain legend reading flagged in the reference suggests die wear or a damaged specimen at the source — worth examining the reverse inscription carefully against Rec. Gén. parallels.