Æ25 - Marcus Aurelius ΜΗΤ ΝΕΩ ΝΕΙΚοΜΗΔ

Nicomedia was among the most politically assertive cities in Bithynia, and its coinage under Marcus Aurelius reflects that ambition directly. The city held the title of metropolis and pressed it aggressively against rival Nicaea throughout the second century, a competition that played out partly on civic bronze — the title abbreviations struck into the legends were not ceremonial flourishes but live municipal politics, each issue a small act of jurisdictional assertion toward Rome and neighboring cities alike.

The ΜΗΤ ΝΕΩ in the legend references Nicomedia's status as neokoros — temple warden of the imperial cult — a designation granted by the Senate and fiercely contested.