During the reign of Armenian King Tigran II the Great (reigned 95 – 55 BC), a plethora of coins in his honor has been issued in Armenia. And for a good reason: Tigran II has been the most successful Armenian king! The coins mostly feature the same outlines of the king’s profile, which allows us to think that that’s what King Tigran actually looked like.
Under Tigran II the Great, the Armenian Kingdom reached its greatest territorial extent, allowing Tigran to receive the title King of Kings. Tigran II conquered and dismissed most of Media and captured Judea. He also annexed Atropatene, Corduene, Adiabene, as well as Osroene. Upon receiving the title King of Kings, Tigran built the new capital city of Armenia Tigranocerta at the border between Armenia and Mesopotamia.
An excellent example of Tigran’s coins: profile of Tigran on the right; the Tyche of Antioch sitting on a rock and god Orontes swimming on the left.Tigranes II “The Great,” 95-56 BC. Bronze two-chalci coin. Diademed and draped bust right, wearing Armenian tiara; star flanked by eagles on the tiara / Palm-branch straight up, BASILEUS TIGRANOY. 16 mm, 4.64 g. ref: AC-110. Fantastic portrait!Tigranes II “The Great,” 95-56 BC. Bronze one-chalcus coin. His diademed and draped bust right, wearing Armenian tiara, countermark to left / Nike advancing left, TIGRANOY AG. Coin 16 mm, 3.64 g. ref: AC-79. Entire piece 18 mm dia. Great portrait. Set into a stunning custom .925 silver bezel. Nice!Tigranes II “The Great,” 95-56 BC. Bronze one-chaclus coin. Diademed and draped bust right, wearing five-pointed Armenian tiara with star / Cornucopiae to right; BASILEWS BASILEON TIGPANOY, TP monogram and A below. 14 mm, 2.48 g. ref: Nercessian ACV 94. Olive-green patina with light earthen deposits, excellent detail! Rough photo. ex-Frank S. Robinson, Albany, NY.Tigranes II “The Great,” 95-56 BC. Large bronze four-chalci coin. Diademed and draped bust right, wearing Armenian tiara / Nike advancing left, holding wreath, BASILEUS TIGRANOY. 20 mm, 7.71 g. ref: AC-77. Nice portrait, olive-green patina with earthen deposits.Tigranes II “The Great,” 95-56 BC. Large bronze four-chalci coin. Diademed and draped bust right, wearing 4-pointed Armenian tiara / Tyche seated right, holding palm branch; river-god Orontes swimming at her feet, BASILEUS BASILEON TIGRANOY. 22 mm, 5.21 g. ref: AC-59. Overstruck over an Arados, Phoenicia issue of 85-84 BC
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
During the reign of Armenian King Tigran II the Great (reigned 95 – 55 BC), a plethora of coins in his honor has been issued in Armenia. And for a good reason: Tigran II has been the most successful Armenian king! The coins mostly feature the same outlines of the king’s profile, which allows us to think that that’s what King Tigran actually looked like.
