AR27 - Hadrian COM - BIT (in field), ROM S P AVG (in entablature)

The Koinon of Bithynia held the right to strike provincial silver on only rare occasions, making this issue notable within the broader category of Greek Imperial coinage. The COM BIT legend identifies it as a product of the provincial assembly — the koinon itself acting as issuing authority rather than any individual city mint. Hadrian actively cultivated such relationships with provincial councils during his extensive tours of the eastern provinces, visits that directly stimulated honorific and commemorative striking.

The ROM S P AVG formula in the entablature locates this within a small group of Bithynian issues referencing the Roman Senate's role in Hadrian's acclamation — politically pointed wording in a province still navigating its loyalties after Trajan's death.