Catalog
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| Issuer | Nicaea (Bithynia and Pontus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 222-235 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Severus Alexander facing right, depicted from the rear in three-quarter view. The emperor's military attire is rendered with characteristic provincial workshop detail. The obverse legend, distributed around the periphery of the flan, identifies the ruler in Greek characters. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Nicaea held unusual administrative importance within Bithynia — it had been the provincial capital before Nicomedia displaced it under Diocletian, and civic bronze issues like this one reflect the city's ongoing competition with its rival for prestige and imperial favor. Under Severus Alexander, that rivalry played out partly through the volume and quality of local bronze coinage, each city effectively advertising its loyalty.
Severus Alexander's thirteen-year reign produced a dense output of provincial bronzes across Bithynia, making die attribution the primary tool for narrowing provenance within the series.