Catalog
Tetrachalkon - Tigranes II biga
| Issuer | Kingdom of Armenia |
|---|---|
| Year | 96 BC - 80 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Bare-headed or tiaraed effigy of Tigranes II facing right, the king wearing his distinctive Armenian tiara adorned with a star emblem and secured by a diadem whose ties fall behind the neck. The portrait is rendered in the Hellenistic tradition, with strong facial features typical of Armenian royal coinage of the late second to early first century BC. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Tigranes II depicted as a warrior-king driving a biga (two-horse chariot) charging to the left, the horses rendered in full gallop with forelegs extended. The king holds the reins and appears in a dynamic martial composition. A Greek legend surrounds the scene in the field, reading ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΤΙΓΡΑΝΟΥ, translating as 'of Tigranes the Great King', a titulature reflecting his imperial aspirations during the period of Armenian expansion. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Tigranes II came to the Armenian throne in 95 BC after spending years as a hostage at the Parthian court — a humiliation he repaid by eventually seizing seventy valleys of Parthian territory. The bronze municipal coinage of his early reign, including this type, predates his most aggressive expansion and the foundation of his new capital Tigranocerta around 83 BC, after which his silver coinage came to dominate.
Kovacs 61 is among the scarcer bronzes of the series, with the biga type appearing in relatively few documented collections compared to the more common later issues.