ANCIENT COINAGE OF ARMENIA

PEOPLE SPEAKING ARMENIAN (AN INDO-EUROPEAN language) have inhabited lands between the Caucasus and central Anatolia for many, many centuries. The earliest record of the name “Armenia” appears in the Behistun Inscription, carved on a rock cliff in western Iran for the Persian ruler Darius the Great around 520 BCE.

Soon after the invention of coinage (seventh century BCE), Greek and Persian coins reached Armenia in trade, but apparently the first coins issued by Armenian rulers were struck for kings of Sophene (now part of southeastern Turkey) in the third century BCE. These bronze pieces were in denominations of four, two and one chalkoi (the chalkous was a unit of about three grams). The ruler’s name and titles were inscribed in Greek letters, but the blanks were often too small for the dies.

KINGS OF SOPHENE. Arsames I, circa 240 BC. Chalkous (Bronze, 16 mm, 2.88 g, 11 h). Head of Arsames I wearing tiara to left. Rev. [B]ASI?E[OS] – APSAMO[Y] Head of a horse to right. Bedoukian, Coinage -. Nercessian CA -. Cf. Lanz 160 (2015), 253 and Gorny & Mosch 220 (2014), 1452. Very rare. Well struck and with an exceptionally sharp and attractive portrait. Leu Numismatik Auction 1. 25 October 2017. Lot : 97.

To read the complete article, see:
CoinWeek Ancient Coin Series: Ancient Coinage of Armenia (https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/coinweek-ancient-coin-series-ancient-coinage-of-armenia/)

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