Catalog
Dichalkon - Antiochus IV
| Issuer | Kingdom of Commagene |
|---|---|
| Year | 38-72 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Dichalkon (1⁄24) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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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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| Reverse lettering | ΚΟΜΜΑΓΗΝΩΝ (Translation: [coin] of the Commagenians) |
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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.