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.
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.