KINGS OF ARMENIA MINOR. Mithradates, circa 180s-160s BC. Dichalkon (Bronze, 16 mm, 3.58 g, 9 h). Draped bust of Mithradates to left, bearded and wearing upright bashlyk tied with a diadem. Rev. Eagle, wings spread, standing left on thunderbolt. Kovacs -. Leu 7, 2020, 1341 (same reverse die). Of the highest rarity and importance. Apparently the second and finest known example, and the first to show the eagle's thunderbolt. Some deposits, otherwise, fine.



On this specimen, unlike the piece we auctioned in 2020, the thunderbolt held in the claws of the King of the Skies is now clearly visible. The eagle, the sacred bird of the supreme god Zeus, reinforces the connection between the Armenian king and Hellenistic traditions. While the depiction recalls Ptolemaic prototypes, its primary influence is Seleukid - specifically the coinage of Antiochos IV, who was himself influenced by Ptolemaic models following his Egyptian campaigns and was the last Seleukid ruler to bring the Armenian dynasts under his control. This suggests that Mithradates must be dated somewhat later than we previously assumed, or at least have reigned longer - namely, into the 160s, much like his contemporary, Artaxias I (190–160), in Armenia proper, who also had a complex history with Seleukid imperial power.