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FROM THE HISTORY OF ARMENIAN COINS. ANCIENT ARMENIAN COINS 'KNEW NO BOUNDS'
The only samples preserved are ascribed to Tigran I (and Tigran II
the Great, whose silver and copper coins are known.
In ancient times, each ruler had coins with his own image. It's known
that during the rule of Seleucid King Antiochus III the Great (223-187
BC), commander Artashes was appointed as governor of Armenia. The
war with Romans, especially the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BC weakened
the Seleucid Empire and Artashes, seizing the opportunity, declared
himself an independent ruler and founded the Artashesian dynasty of
Armenian kings (189 BC- 1 AD).
October 1, 2013
PanARMENIAN.Net - The first kings of the dynasty apparently didn't
have coins, with the only samples preserved being ascribed to Tigran
I (123-96 BC) and Tigran II the Great (95-56 BC), whose silver and
copper coins are known.
The silver coins were drachmas and tetradrachms (four drachmas). The
copper coins were called khalks. One drachma was equal to six obols,
one obol to 8 khalks, one silver drachma to 48 khalks.
The coins were minted in Artashat and Tigranakert, as well as in
Syrian cities of Antioch and Damascus.
Description of coins
The obverse showed the profile of the king with Armenian tiara (crown)
characteristic of the Artashesian dynasty, featuring the 8-pointed star
(the Sun) and two eagles looking at each other. The reverse had some
mythological pictures as well as the name and titles of the king in
Greek letters.
There were two types of inscriptions - "King Tigran" and "King of
Kings Tigran". The research revealed that the coins with the first
type of inscription were made in Syrian mints while those with the
second type were produced in Armenia.
Starting with the rule of Tigran I, the coinage hadn't stopped. The
most interesting coins of that period are probably the silver
tetradrachm of King Artavazd II (56-34 BC) with Goddess Nike depicted
on it and the copper coin of Tigran IV and Queen Erato, the only one
showing a queen, who, according to some data, was a co-ruler.
During the period of Artashesians, coins from the neighboring Parthia,
Roman Republic and subsequently the Roman Empire, Seleucid Empire,
Cappadocia, were also in use. When worn-out, the coins were re-melted
for a new production, thus making it impossible to find out about
the volume of circulation of Armenian coins of that time.
Part of the coins was used in neighboring territories, gaining the
'international' status. However, after the fall of the Artashesians,
coinage stopped for a long time.
The name of the Armenian currency - Dram - originated from the Greek
drachma.
The material was prepared in cooperation with Gevorg Mughalyan,
the numismatist of the Central Bank of Armenia.
Viktoria Araratyan / PanARMENIAN.Net, Varo Rafayelyan / PanARMENIAN
Photo http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/details/170691/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
The only samples preserved are ascribed to Tigran I (and Tigran II
the Great, whose silver and copper coins are known.
In ancient times, each ruler had coins with his own image. It's known
that during the rule of Seleucid King Antiochus III the Great (223-187
BC), commander Artashes was appointed as governor of Armenia. The
war with Romans, especially the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BC weakened
the Seleucid Empire and Artashes, seizing the opportunity, declared
himself an independent ruler and founded the Artashesian dynasty of
Armenian kings (189 BC- 1 AD).
October 1, 2013
PanARMENIAN.Net - The first kings of the dynasty apparently didn't
have coins, with the only samples preserved being ascribed to Tigran
I (123-96 BC) and Tigran II the Great (95-56 BC), whose silver and
copper coins are known.
The silver coins were drachmas and tetradrachms (four drachmas). The
copper coins were called khalks. One drachma was equal to six obols,
one obol to 8 khalks, one silver drachma to 48 khalks.
The coins were minted in Artashat and Tigranakert, as well as in
Syrian cities of Antioch and Damascus.
Description of coins
The obverse showed the profile of the king with Armenian tiara (crown)
characteristic of the Artashesian dynasty, featuring the 8-pointed star
(the Sun) and two eagles looking at each other. The reverse had some
mythological pictures as well as the name and titles of the king in
Greek letters.
There were two types of inscriptions - "King Tigran" and "King of
Kings Tigran". The research revealed that the coins with the first
type of inscription were made in Syrian mints while those with the
second type were produced in Armenia.
Starting with the rule of Tigran I, the coinage hadn't stopped. The
most interesting coins of that period are probably the silver
tetradrachm of King Artavazd II (56-34 BC) with Goddess Nike depicted
on it and the copper coin of Tigran IV and Queen Erato, the only one
showing a queen, who, according to some data, was a co-ruler.
During the period of Artashesians, coins from the neighboring Parthia,
Roman Republic and subsequently the Roman Empire, Seleucid Empire,
Cappadocia, were also in use. When worn-out, the coins were re-melted
for a new production, thus making it impossible to find out about
the volume of circulation of Armenian coins of that time.
Part of the coins was used in neighboring territories, gaining the
'international' status. However, after the fall of the Artashesians,
coinage stopped for a long time.
The name of the Armenian currency - Dram - originated from the Greek
drachma.
The material was prepared in cooperation with Gevorg Mughalyan,
the numismatist of the Central Bank of Armenia.
Viktoria Araratyan / PanARMENIAN.Net, Varo Rafayelyan / PanARMENIAN
Photo http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/details/170691/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress