177 AD., Commodus Caesar, Rome mint, Sestertius, RIC 1555.

Commodus Caesar, struck under Marcus Aurelius, Rome mint, 177 AD.,
Sestertius (30-32 mm / 26,94 g), brass (“orichalcum“), axes coin alignment ↑↓ (180°),
Obv.: IMP CAES L AVREL CO-MMODVS GERM SARM , laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of young Commodus right, seen from back.
Rev.: [TR P II CO]S / S - C / DE GERM , two captives seated left and right at foot of trophy; S-C across fields, DE GERM in exergue.
RIC III, p. 338, no. 1555 (Marcus Aurelius) (scarce) ; BMC 1654 ; Coh. 82 .

Marcus Aurelius had scored victories over the Sarmatians and the Germans, which he and his son celebrated on coinage struck mainly in 176-177. This sestertius was issued in AD 177, at a point when the German Marcomanni had been defeated in several battles and had been forced into seeming submission (the legend DE GERM can be translated as "the Germans defeated"). Marcus and his son Commodus celebrated a joint triumph for the victory in December of AD 176; however, soon afterward the war flared anew and Marcus was forced to return to his frontier armies, where he died of illness and exhaustion on March 17, AD 180. His son Commodus "declared victory and returned home," leaving the Germans unconquered and restive.