City Commemorative Issue, Nicomedia 330 - 335

Editor: Here we have "City Commemorative Issue, Nicomedia," a coin, probably bronze, from the time of Constantine I. It looks quite worn, but what can we discern about the politics embedded in it? Curator: This coin offers us a lens into the construction of imperial power through civic identity. Nicomedia, as a major city, was being actively incorporated into Constantine’s vision. Editor: So, the elephant on the reverse—is that symbolic of imperial power? Curator: Perhaps, but also consider the local context. Elephants could represent Nicomedia itself, connecting the city's image to imperial iconography. How does this tension between local and imperial influence our understanding of power dynamics? Editor: I hadn't considered that. It seems like a negotiation of power, not just a top-down imposition. Thanks! Curator: Precisely! It is a dialogue worth further consideration.