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Æ26 - Valerian and Gallienus ΝΙΚΑΙΕΩΝ
| Issuer | Nicaea (Bithynia and Pontus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 253-268 |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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| Reverse description | Standing figure of Sarapis depicted to the right, the deity identifiable by his characteristic modius headdress and long robes. Sarapis holds a tall sceptre in the left hand while the right arm is raised in a gesture of benediction or greeting. The Greek ethnic legend ΝΙΚΑΙΕΩΝ appears in the field, attesting to the civic mint of Nicaea in Bithynia. The reverse field is heavily patinated with yellow encrustations consistent with prolonged burial, and the die work, though worn, reflects the provincial bronze coinage style of the mid-third century AD. |
| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Nicaea's civic bronze issues under the joint reign of Valerian I and Gallienus represent a city still investing in its own prestige during a period when the Roman empire was fracturing badly — Valerian would be captured by Shapur I of Persia in 260 AD, the only Roman emperor ever taken prisoner by a foreign enemy. Provincial mints across Bithynia continued striking civic coinage almost without interruption through the crisis, a measure of how far municipal identity had decoupled from imperial stability.