Armenia

Ancient Coins from Armenia for sale in the Forum Ancient Coins shop

Babelon, E. Les Rois de Syrie, d 'Arménie, et de Commagène, Catlogue de monnaies grecques de la Bibliothèque Nacionale. (Paris, 1890).
Langlois, V. Numismatique de l 'Arménie. (Paris, 1859).
Bedoukian, P. "Coinage of the Armenian Kingdoms of Sophene and Commagene" in ANSMN 28 (New York, 1983).
Bedoukian, P. Coinage of the Artaxiads of Armenia. RNS Special Publication Number 10. (London, 1978).
Gardner, P. Catalogue of Greek Coins in the British Museum, The Seleucid Kings of Syria. (Forni reprint, 1963).
Kovacs, F. "Additions and corrections to Armenian coins and their values" in Armenian Numismatic Journal 30/3 (2004).
Kovacs, F. Armenian Coinage in the Classical Period. CNS 10. (Lancaster, PA, 2016).
Kovacs, F. "Tigranes IV, V, and VI: New Attributions" in AJN 20 (2008).
Mousheghian, A. & G. Depeyrot. Hellenistic and Roman Armenian Coinage (1st c. BC - 1st c. AD). Moneta 15. (Wettern, 1999).
Mousheghian, K., et al. History and Coin Finds in Armenia: Coins from Duin, Capital of Armenia. Moneta 18. (Wetteren, 2000).
Nercessian, Y. Armenian Coins and Their Values. Armenian Numismatic Society, Special Publication No. 8. (Los Angeles, 1995).
Nercessian, Y. "Coinage of the Armenian Kingdom of Sophene (ca. 260-70 B.C.)" in Armenian Numismatic Journal 37.3 (Sep 2011).
Nercessian, Y. Silver Coinage of the Artaxiad Dynasty of Armenia. (Los Angeles, 2006).
Nercessian, Y. "Silver Coins of Artavasdes II of Armenia" in Armenian Numismatic Journal 29-1 (March 2003).
Nercessian, Y. "Silver Coins of Tigranes II of Armenia" in Armenian Numismatic Journal 26-3 & 4. (December 2000).
Nercessian, Y. "Tigranes the Great of Armenia and the Mint of Damascus" in Armenian Numismatic Journal 22-1 (March 1996).
Vardanyan, R. "A Dated Copper Coin of Artaxias II: Evidence on the Use of the Pompeyan Era in Artaxata" in Armenian Numismatic Journal XXVII (2001).

Historic Armenia, at the crossroads of the three continents, is a land of snow-clad mountains and deep valleys. Like most mountainous countries, Armenia was destined to be a poor land whose inhabitants survived solely through their courage. It was not until the twentieth century that history of Armenia was subjected to serious study. Until quite recently very little material was available for research or collecting.

Early kings in traditional Armenian chronology according to Moses of Chorene.

Note that the early dates are traditional and of uncertain accuracy.

    Orontes I Sakavakyats (570–560 BC)
    Tigranes Orontid (560–535 BC)
    Vahagn (530–515 BC)
    Hidarnes I (late 6th century BC)
    Hidarnes II (early 5th century BC)
    Hidarnes III (middle of the 5th century BC)
    Ardashir (2nd half of the 5th century BC)

Attested satraps

    Orontes (401–344 BC)
    Darius Codomannus (344–336 BC)

Orontid Dynasty

    Orontes II (336–331 BC)
    Mithranes (331–323 BC)
    Neoptolemus Orontid (non-dynastic) (323–321 BC)
    Mithranes (321–317 BC)
    Orontes III (317–260 BC)
    Sames (260–243 BC)
    Arsames (243–228 BC)
    Xerxes (228–212 BC)
    Orontes IV (212–200 BC)
    Abdisares ( 189–166 BC)

Artashesian (Artaxiad) Dynasty

    Artaxias I (190–159 BC)
    Tigranes I (159–123 BC)
    Artavasdes I (123–95 BC)
    Tigranes the Great (Tigranes II, 95–55 BC)
    Artavasdes II (55–34 BC)
    Artaxias II (33–20 BC)
    Tigranes III (20–10 BC)
    Tigranes IV, first reign, pro-Parthian (c. 8 - 5 BC)
    Tigranes IV second reign, with Erato, pro-Roman (c. 2 BC)

Roman and Parthian non-dynastic candidates

    Ariobarzanes (2 BC - AD 4) (Roman protectorate)
    Artavasdes III (AD 4 - 6)
    Tigranes V (Herodian Tigranes I), with Erato (AD 6 - 12)
    Vonones (former king of Parthia) 12–16 (Roman protectorate)
    Roman interregnum 16–18 (Vonones as nominal king)
    Artaxias III 18–35 (Roman protectorate)
    Arsaces I of Armenia (son of Artabanus III) 35 (Parthian protectorate)
    Orodes of Armenia (pretender, son of Artabanus III) 35
    Mithridates 35–37 (Roman protectorate)
    Orodes (now king) 37–42 (Parthian protectorate)
    Mithridates (second time) 42–51 (Roman protectorate)
    Rhadamistus (son of Pharasmanes I of Iberia) 51–53 (Roman protectorate)
    Tiridates I (son of Vonones II of Parthia) 53 (Roman protectorate)
    Rhadamistus (second time) 53–54 (Roman protectorate)

Arshakuni (Arsacid) Kings of Armenia

    Tiridates I (second time) 52–58
    Tigranes VI (Herodian Tigranes II), first reign, 59/60 - 62 (Roman protectorate)
    Tiridates I 62–88 (Parthian protectorate 62–63; from 63 Armenia again becomes a Roman protectorate)
    Tigranes VI (Herodian Tigranes II), second reign, AD 66/67 (Roman protectorate)
    Sanatruces (Sanatruk) 88–110
    Axidares (Ashkhadar) 110–113
    Parthamasiris (Partamasir) 113–114
    Roman Province 114–117/8
    Vologases I (Vagharsh I) 117/8–144
    Sohaemus 144–161
    Bakur 161–164
    Sohaemus (second time) 163/4–186?
    Vologases II (Vagharsh II) 186–198
    Khosrov I 198–217
    Tiridates II 217–252
    Khosrov II c. 252
    Sassanid Occupation 252–287
        Artavasdes IV 252–287 Sassanid Client King
    Tiridates III 287–330 (Roman protectorate again)
    Khosrov III 330–339
    Tigranes VII (Tiran) 339 – c. 350
    Arsaces II (Arshak II) c. 350–368
    Sassanid Occupation 368
    Papas (Pap) 370–374
    Varasdates (Varazdat) 374–378
    Arsaces III (Arshak III) 378–387 with co-ruler Vologases III (Vagharsh III) 378–386
    Khosrov IV 387–389
    Vramshapuh 389–417
    Local Independent Government 417–422
    Artaxias IV (Artashir IV) 422–428

DICTIONARY OF ROMAN COINS

Armenia

Please add updates or make corrections to the NumisWiki text version as appropriate.

---

ARMENIA - A region of Asia, now forming part of the Diar Bekir and Kourdistan in the Turkish empire. It was anciently divided into two provinces, Major and Minor.  Armenia Major was on the Eastern bank of the Euphrates, bounded on the north by Colchis and Iberia; on the south by Mesopotamia. Armenia Minor was on the Western bank of the Euphrates, bounded on the west by Cappadocia, of which it  originally formed part; on the south by the chain of the Taurus. Armenia, as a country, was distinguished by the bow, quiver of arrows, and oblong mitre in the shape of a hood (a covering for the head, which was common to its inhabitants of both sexes). - Lucullus was the first of the Roman generals, who under the Republic, invaded Armenia (B.C. 69). He vanquished its king (Tigranes II), son-in-law of Mithridates Eupator, and took Tigranocerta its capital (now Sert in Kourdistan). This king afterwards surrendered his crown to Pompey, the successor of Lucullus (B.C. 66), and who, after having despoiled him of Mesopotamia, permitted him to reign in Armenia. - Tigranes being dead, the Romans became almost the absolute masters of the kingdom. - M. Antonius filched its crown from Artavasdes the lawful sovereign, about 33 B.C. - Augustus gave a king to it, when at the death of Artaxias it was recepta, or taken into possession, by the Romans, 28 B.C., and succeeding emperors continued to exercise an oppressive power over its government.  At length Trajan united it as a province of the Empire; Antoninus (see REX ARMENIS DATVS) bestowed a king upon it; and Armenia remained for ages afterwards the slave of Imperial Rome.

View whole page from the Dictionary Of Roman Coins