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Æ Pogh - Roupen I
| Issuer | Cilician Armenia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1080-1095 |
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| Reference(s) | Ner#245 |
| Obverse description | Plain cross with equal arms enclosed within a beaded or rope-like inner circle, the arms extending to touch the border. Fragmentary Armenian inscriptions occupy the four quadrants around the cross within the circle, and additional Armenian characters appear in the outer field. The flan is irregular and slightly convex, typical of early Cilician Armenian hammered bronze coinage. The overall style is bold and schematic, consistent with the primitive artistic tradition of Roupen I's reign. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain cross with equal arms set within a raised circular border, dividing the central field into four quarters. Fragmentary Armenian legends are distributed around the cross, partially obscured by striking weakness and flan irregularities. The reverse is notably flatter and more worn than the obverse, with the cross design less crisply rendered. The hammered flan shows uneven metal flow and ragged edges characteristic of this early Cilician issue. |
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| Additional information |
Roupen I was the founder of the Rubenid dynasty, establishing Armenian control in the Taurus mountain regions after fleeing Seljuk pressure on the Armenian heartland following the catastrophic defeat at Manzikert in 1071. His early coinage reflects a polity still defining itself — rough, locally produced bronzes struck for immediate economic function rather than dynastic display. The pogh was the workhorse denomination of Cilician Armenian commerce.