Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. 631. Tlgranes IV. 8-5 BC. Lot of four JE. Reverses with Herakles, Nike, elephant right, elephant left. AC 157,162,171, & 172. Average Fine. 4 coins.
($200)
637. A R M E N I A or C O M M A G E N E . Circa mid 1st Century BC. JE 21mm (8.88 gm). Jugate busts right, male wearing tall Armenian tiara, the female diademed / Mountain range with two distinct peaks; fragmentary legend. AC 122; Bedoukian 128. Fair, encrusted green patina. ($200)
632. Artavasdes ΙΠ. 5-2 BC. JE 21mm (5.43 gm). Bust of Artavasdes wearing Armenian tiara / ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΑΡΤΑΥΑΖΔΟΥ, Athena (not king) standing left, holding spear and shield. AC 174 (sic); Bedoukian 160; Alram 229. Fine, brown patina. ($2OT)
The attribution of this coin to Tigranes II of Armenia is open to question. The portrait does not resemble Tigranes, and he is neuer seen with a consort; it more closely resembles later Artaxiad or Commagene kings. Jugate or conjoined busts appear on Hellenistic coinage, indicating the ruler and his associate, either spouse or other family member holds equal standing. The Seleukid queen Cleopatra appears with her son Antiochos VIII during their joint rule (125-121 BC). On the Armenian side, Erato shared the coinage with Tigranes IV and Tigranes V, while the queens of the Commagene dynasty also shared power. Laodike, wife of Mithradates I, was the grand-daughter of Cleopatra, but even though inscriptionsfrom Commagene put her on nearly equalfooting with her husband, no coin portraits have been identified. /Is for the mint site, Caesarea in Cappadocia is unlikely. There is no evidence for a mint 633. Artavasdes ΠΙ. 5-2 BC. JE 18mm (4.01 gm). Bust of Artavasdes wearthere until Archelaus (36 BC-17AD), and Mt. Argaeus is never shown as two dising Armenian tiara / ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ (at left, reading upwards) tinct peaks. The profile shown on this coin does in fact almost exactly match that of the (ΑΡ)ΤΑΥΑ(ΖΔΟΥ) (at right, reading upwards), bird left, perched on narrow most important mountain in Armenian mythology, Mt. Ararat. This an be seen most pile of rocks representing a mountain. Cf. AC 177; Bedoukian 2 (Artaxias clearly on the logo of the Armenian Numismatic Society! The Hellenizing tendency I); Alram 185 (Artaxias I). Fair, brown patina. ($200) of Tigranes II is strong on all his coins; a purely Armenian type does not fit the pattern. However, the later Armenian or Commagene kings, seeking connections to In Nercessian's catalogue, the coin with bird on mountain reverse, attributed to their historic roots in theface of Roman expansionism, might have seen Ararat as a Artaxias I by Bedoukian and Alram is placed under Artavasdes III, leaving no vital symbol of their independence. Mithradates I erected a temple, the Hierothesion known coinage for Artaxias. This coin demonstrates there are two distinct portrait at Arsameia, at thefoot of tzvo mountains whose profile (coincidentally?) resembles types associated with this reverse. The first type, shown in Bedoukian and Alram, por- Ararat. The question remains unresolved until a clear specimen of this exceedingly trays an older, broadfaced man wearing a cap-like peakedtiaramore in keeping with rare coinage appears. the style of the early Artaxiad portraits. The present piece has a younger narrowfaced portrait with tall tiara seen in the later portraits of Artavasdes. Although heavily worn, the reverse preserves enough of the legend to assure the reading of the royal name as ΑΡΤΑ ΥΑΖΔΟΥ, while thefirst type is only readable as ΑΡΤΑ. We might argue that the first coin does indeed represent the coinage of Artaxias I, with the reverse type reappearing under his descendant Artavasdes III. 638. Tigranes II? 95-56 BC. JE 17mm (3.91 gm). Jugate busts right, male wearing tall Armenian tiara, the female diademed / Mountain range with two distinct peaks; fragmentary legend. AC 122 (this coin illustrated); Bedoukian 128. Fair, dark green patina. ($200)
Extremely Rare Bronze of Tigranes V & Augustus
The Armenian Sub-kings; Media Atropatene, Commagene and the Osrhoene Dynasty of Edessa.
634. Tigranes V. 6 AD. JE 24mm (14.42 gm). ( Β Α Ο Λ Ε Ω Ο M E r A C NEOC T i r P A N H C , bust of Artavasdes wearing Armenian tiara / (KAICAP OE)OC ΘΕΟΥ (YIOC CEBACTOC),bare head of Augustus left. AC 184; Bedoukian 167; Alram 231; RPC 3841 (Tigranes ΙΠ [IV]). Fine, green and black patina. Extremely rare. ($2500)
639. MEDIA ATROPATENE, Kings of. Artavasdes. Circa 30 BC. JE 17mm (4.24 gm). Bust right, wearing turreted tiara with eagles and diadem; eagle with wreath behind / ΒΑΣΙΛΕ ΒΑΣΙΛ (ΕΩΝ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ APTAYAZΔΟΥ), female bust left, wearing tiara. AC-; Bedoukian-; Alram 237. VF, encrusted dark green patina. Rare. ($300)
635. Tigranes IV. 8-5 BC. JE 11mm (1.59 gm). Bust of Tigranes wearing Armenian tiara with star and eagles / Zeus seated left, holding eagle (?) and sceptre. AC 156; Bedoukian 159; Alram-. VF, green patina. ($100)
636. Lot of ten JE of the Armenian kings. Tigranes Π. Tyche, Herakles (2), tripod. AC49,67,69, 111. / / Artavasdes Π. Nike left. AC 127. / / Tigranes ffl. Bird left. AC 143. / / Artavasdes ΠΙ. Athena left. AC 174. / / Tigranes IV. Nike, eagle, palm. AC 164,165,169. Average Fine. 10 coins. ($300)
6 0
640. MEDIA ATROPATENE, Kings of. Asinnalus. Circa 30 BC. JE 19mm (4.83 gm). Bust right, wearing turreted tiara with globe and diadem; monogram behind / ΒΑΣΙΛ(ΕΩΣ) ΑΣΙΝΝΑ(ΛΟΥ), Nike driving quadriga right; monogram. AC-; Bedoukian-; Alram 238. Fine, brown patina. Rare. ($300)