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Æ27 - Trajan Decius ΝΙΚΑΙΕΩΝ
| Issuer | Nicaea (Bithynia and Pontus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 249-251 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Reverse description | Athena, helmeted and draped, seated left upon a throne, extending a patera in her right hand and holding an upright spear in her left; a large round shield rests to the right of the throne. The figure is rendered in the classical tradition, emphasizing the goddess's martial and civic attributes, consistent with the veneration of Athena as a patron deity of Nicaea. The ethnic legend ΝΙΚΑΙΕΩΝ appears in the field, identifying the issuing city. The overall style reflects mid-third century provincial bronze coinage from Bithynia. |
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| Mint | Nicaea (Bithynia) |
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| Additional information |
Nicaea was among the most prolific civic minting authorities in Bithynia under the Severans and their successors, and continued issuing bronze through the reign of Trajan Decius despite the broader disintegration of the provincial bronze coinage system across much of the Greek East during the third century. Decius himself is notable for issuing the first empire-wide edict requiring all inhabitants to sacrifice to the Roman gods — the persecution that killed Pope Fabian and likely Origen.
The ΝΙΚΑΙΕΩΝ ethnic on civic bronzes of this period signals municipally authorized production, not imperial mint output.