Catalog
1/2 Chalkous - Tigranes V Head of Elephant
| Issuer | Armenia, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 6-12 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | Head of an elephant facing left, depicted naturalistically with visible tusks and trunk. The Greek legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΤΙΓΡΑΝΟΥ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ, meaning 'King Tigranes the Great', surrounds the central device, distributed around the field in accordance with standard Hellenistic epigraphy. The reverse typology reflects the symbolic importance of the elephant in the iconography of Hellenistic monarchies. |
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| Mintage | ND (6-12) |
| Additional information |
Tigranes V ruled Armenia as a client king under Roman patronage, installed by Augustus and later confirmed under Gaius Caesar's eastern mission around 1 AD. His reign was contested and short — he was eventually ousted, possibly killed, with Roman backing withdrawn. Coinage attributed to him is extraordinarily rare in any denomination, and the fractional bronzes in particular survive in tiny numbers, almost certainly reflecting a limited and politically unstable mint operation rather than any sustained civic economy.