Artavasdes I c. 160-121 BC (Kov 49-50)

Artavasdes (BNP [1]) was the son of Artaxias I. His long reign was apparently uneventful until near its end when he was attacked by Mithradates II of Parthia. He died in battle or shortly after. The coins of Artavasdes I have been known for some time, but due to misreading or misattribution, have been catalogued under other kings. The attribution of the two coin types listed below is based on the early development of the tiara and upon the engraver's primitive style which continued into the reign of his successor, Tigranes I. The standing Athena reverse is found on earlier coins of Sophene (Xerxes) but the eagle on mountain is unique in this series. Artavasdes's use of the title megas suggests that he ruled territories outside Armenia Major, including perhaps part or all of Sophene.

Kovacs, Frank L. “Armenian Coinage in the Classical Period” CNS 10, Classical Numismatic Group, Lancaster, 2016, pp. 10.