ARMENIAN KINGDOM. Tigranes II the Great (95-56 BC). AR tetradrachm (26mm, 15.27 gm, 12h). NGC

Description

ARMENIAN KINGDOM. Tigranes II the Great (95-56 BC). AR Tetradrachm

– **Diameter:** 26 mm
– **Weight:** 15.27 g
– **Die Alignment:** 12h
– **Mint:** Tigranocerta
– **Date:** ca. 80-68 BC

**Obverse:**
– **Design:** Diademed and draped bust of Tigranes II right, wearing a tiara with starburst between eagles standing outward looking inward, within a bead-and-reel border.

**Reverse:**
– **Inscription:** BAΣIΛEΩ-Σ / TIΓPANOY
– **Design:** Tyche seated on rock right, holding palm in right hand, river god Orontes swimming right before her; Θ in inner right field next to Orontes’ head, HΔ monogram on rock, within a laureate border.

**Catalog Reference:**
– Kovacs 74.2
– AC 31

**Condition:**
– NGC Grade: Choice XF (Extremely Fine) 5/5 – 2/5

**Historical Context:**
Tigranes II, also known as Tigranes the Great, ruled the Armenian Kingdom from 95 to 56 BC. Under his reign, Armenia reached its greatest territorial extent, establishing itself as a significant regional power. The minting of this tetradrachm in Tigranocerta, his newly founded capital, symbolizes the prosperity and cultural flourishing during his reign. The obverse features Tigranes with a distinctive tiara, while the reverse showcases Tyche, the goddess of fortune, along with the river god Orontes, reflecting the kingdom’s wealth and geographical importance.

**For further information, please call 212 3191077**