The Armenian Sub-Kingdoms: Media-Atropatene and Commagene

CNG 85, Lot: 48. Estimate $500. Sold for $800. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of MEDIA-ATROPATENE. Artavasdes. Circa 30 BC. Æ (17mm, 4.25 g, 11h). Diademed and draped bust right, wearing turreted tiara decorated with two eagles; to left, crowning eagle standing right / Diademed and draped female bust left, wearing turreted tiara. Bedoukian, Coinage -; AC -; Alram 237. VF, green patina, light deposits. Very rare.

From the R.A. Collection. Ex Araratian Collection (Classical Numismatic Group 36, 5 December 1995), lot 639.

A kingdom southeast of Greater Armenia, Media-Atropatene was created upon the partition of the former Achaemenid province of Media following the Diodoch Wars. Administration of the newly-created kingdom was taken over by Atropates, the former Achaemenid governor of all of Media, and his dynasty continued rule over the kingdom for several centuries, ultimately acting as a vassal kingdom to the Parthian and Sasanian empires.