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Dichalkon - Antiochus IV
| Issuer | Kingdom of Commagene |
|---|---|
| Year | 38-72 |
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| Composition | Copper |
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| Obverse description | A Capricorn depicted in right profile occupies the central field, its forebody rendered as a goat with short horns and its hindquarters terminating in a fish tail, the scales indicated by a series of raised pellets. A six-pointed star appears in the upper left field. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border. |
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| Reverse description | A tall Armenian-style tiara shown facing, decorated with a row of raised pellets and surmounted by a turreted crown with multiple battlements, the base resting on a crescent. The legend ΚΟΜΜΑΓΗΝΩΝ is disposed in two vertical columns flanking the tiara, one column to the left and one to the right, within a beaded border. |
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| Additional information |
Commagene occupied a precarious strip of territory between Rome and Parthia, and its kings survived by reading the political weather with exceptional care. Antiochus IV — the last ruling king of the dynasty — was installed by Caligula in 38 AD, deposed by Claudius in 72 AD, then reinstated by Claudius before Vespasian finally annexed the kingdom outright. This coin was struck across that entire contested span. The end came swiftly: Vespasian's legate Caesennius Paetus marched in on unconfirmed suspicion of Parthian dealings, and Commagene ceased to exist as an independent entity.