Catalog
Dichalkon - Tigranes I Zeus
| Issuer | Armenia, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 123 BC - 96 BC |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Reverse description | Zeus enthroned to the left, his figure rendered in the Hellenistic tradition. In his outstretched right hand he holds a wreath, while his left hand rests upon a long scepter. A Greek letter Lambda (Λ) appears as a control mark in the inner left field. The Greek royal legend of Tigranes I is distributed around the seated figure, identifying the king by his royal epithets. |
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| Reverse lettering | BA[ΣΙΛEΩΣ] / [M]EΓAΛO[Y] - TIΓPANOY / ΦΙΛΕΛΛHN[OC] |
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| Additional information |
Tigranes I ruled Armenia as a Seleucid vassal, and his bronze coinage reflects that dependency — these issues are thought to have served local exchange in a kingdom that lacked the infrastructure for sustained silver production. The dichalkon denomination itself is Greek in origin, adopted wholesale from Hellenistic monetary convention as Armenian rulers sought legitimacy through familiar civic forms.
Kovacs 65 and Bedoukian CAA 4 represent the same type catalogued independently; reconciling the two references remains a minor headache for collectors working the series.