Æ31 - Marcus Aurelius ΜΗΤΡοΠ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ ΝΕΙΚΟΜΗΔ

Nicomedia held the title of "metropolis" and "neokoros" — temple warden of the imperial cult — a status fought over bitterly among Bithynian cities. The neokorate designation, confirmed under Hadrian, gave Nicomedia legal standing to host imperial games and reinforced its primacy over rival Nicaea, a competition that generated substantial local coinage asserting civic rank rather than facilitating commerce.

The reference to ΜΗΤΡοΠ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ places this squarely in that civic rivalry.