Metropolis, like several other ancient cities, shared its name and therefore had to be denoted by the region. The city was ancient even when this coin was minted, with remains going back to Mycenaean times.
During the Hellenistic era, Metropolis was part of the Kingdom of Pergamon. Ancient writes extolled the quality of its wine.
Today, the ruins are still visitable, though most of what may be seen comes from Roman times.