The office of Metropolitan was created by decree in 2559 by Baimund Kaligär, so the title is less than two hundred years old. It was awarded for enriching the city of Aurice, typically as a merchant. For this reason, they are neither nobles of the robe (ecclesiastical) nor of the sword (military) and are humorously called nobles of the coin. The Viceroyal Duke Baimund Kaligär wished to weaken the position of the nobles by packing the Senate with Metropolitans who would be loyal to him. Today only about half of the metropolitans are senators. Some lost their status after the Aurician Revolution as the Dukes, Counts, and Barons endeavored to weaken the voting bloc of the Metropolitans whom they disdained as they were neither nobles of the sword nor of the robe. These metropolitans who lost senatorial status were charged with loyalty to the then disreputed House Bijäl. The prospect of regaining senatorial status was ostensibly held out on condition of loyalty to the Noble Republic, but privately on condition of loyalty to the agenda of the older senatorial ranks whose power was largely in land-ownership rather than trade.

Baimund Kaligär was only able to create the office and title of Metropolitan due to his great military power and the waning fortunes of the upper nobility during the rule of the Thracian Empire. He appeased the nobles to some extent by refusing to Metropolitans the power to create their own local provincial nobles like castellan, numinant, judex, and momentor. In principle, they didn't need this power anyway since they did not have government over a regional polity such as a duchy, county, or barony. Prospective metropolitans were not simply merchant, but astoundingly wealthy merchants. By bringing them officially into the upper echelons of power, Kaligär also ensured their continued loyalty and cooperation with the Vice-ducal government of Lucacia.

Aurician Metropolitan

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