Chalkous - Artaxias I grapes

Artaxias I founded the independent Armenian kingdom around 190 BC after the collapse of Seleucid power following Antiochus III's defeat at Magnesia, carving out a state that would endure for centuries. This small bronze was among the earliest autonomous coinage struck in his name — Armenia had previously circulated Seleucid issues rather than minting its own.

Kovacs 48 is among the scarcer chalkous types of the series. The grape motif carried practical regional resonance: Armenian viticulture was already ancient by Artaxias's reign, noted by later classical writers.