KINGS OF ARMENIA. Tiridates II (?), circa 217-252. AE (Bronze, 23 mm, 5.99 g, 12 h). Bearded head of Tiridates II to left, wearing four-pointed tiara tied with a diadem; all within laurel wreath. Rev. 𐡌𐡋𐡁𐡏 / 𐡕𐡓𐡃𐡈 / ΛΙΛ ('trdt mlk' in Aramaic) in three lines within laurel wreath. Kovacs 204. Very rare. A very sharp and attractive example of this difficult issue. Nearly extremely fine.


The legends on this issue are often blundered and hard to read, but it was probably struck by Tiridates II, whose father Chosroes was disposed by Caracalla in 214 or 216. Tiridates II was recognized as King of Armenia by Macrinus in 217 and the first Armenian King to strike coins since Tigranes VI in 66/7 AD - yet, as it turned out, also the last. He initially proved to be quite a successful ruler, but was eventually expelled from Armenia in 252 by the Sasanids under Shapur.