Æ19 - Caracalla C I F SINOP

Sinope's colonial status under Rome was unusual — the city had been refounded as a Roman colony by Julius Caesar in 47 BC, displacing much of the existing Greek population, and it retained that identity for centuries. The COL IVL FEL SINOP legend on civic bronzes of this type reflects that Caesarean foundation, not a later imperial grant. Local bronze issues like this one circulated as small-denomination currency for everyday transactions in a port city that remained one of the Black Sea's most strategically active harbors throughout the Severan period.