Commodus, Satala Mint - AE23mm - Military standards

ANRO-2012; RPC IV.3 - 10431 temp; Fox-Cm-C1a

Armenia Minor, Satala
Commodus 177-192 AD

AE 23mm

Obverse: IMP CAES COMOΔO; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Commodus, right, seen from rear.
Reverse: Aquila (eagle-topped standard—the emblem of a Roman legion) between two signa (lesser standards—a signum being typically the emblem of a Roman cohort or century).

RPC IV.3 - 10431; Fox-Cm-C1a

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.