Commodus, Satala Mint - AE27mm - Eagle on globe

ANRO-2009; RPC IV.3 - 25461 temp; Fox-Cm-D1a

Armenia Minor, Satala
Commodus 177-192 AD

AE 27mm

Obverse: IMP CAE COMMODO; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Commodus, right, seen from rear.
Reverse: LEG XV; eagle facing, head left, on globe.

RPC IV.3 - 25461; Fox-Cm-D1a

Satala, situated in ancient Armenia Minor (modern-day Sadak, Turkey), served as a strategic Roman military fortress on the empire’s eastern frontier. Established under Emperor Vespasian in the late 1st century AD, it housed Legio XV Apollinaris and later Legio XVI Flavia Firma, forming a critical part of Rome’s defense against Parthian incursions. Though not a traditional Armenian city, Satala’s proximity to Armenia proper and its role in regional conflicts, such as the Battle of Satala in 298 AD, underscore its significance in Armenian history.

Fox, Mark. “A Tale of Four Ancient Cities and Their Newly Discovered Coins.” The Numismatist, Jan. 2025, pp. 39–45.