Augustus Armenia Capta Rare AR Denarius Roman Empire 19 BC Silver Coin Museum Reproduction CSRD0008

This coin celebrates the ‘victory’ over the Armenians. This occurred when the Armenians requested the Romans to replace their present king, Artaxis, with his Romanized brother Tigranes, who had been living as an exile in Rome for ten years. Augustus sent Tiberius to deal with the matter. In the event, the Armenians themselves removed Artaxes, Tiberius arriving late to be of help. However, the Romans, always ready to use propaganda to their advantage, treated this ‘victory’ as a monumental diplomatic triumph.

In the first century BCE, Armenia was an extensive kingdom covering much of eastern Turkey and parts of Iran and the Caucasus. A buffer state between the contending empires of Rome and Parthia, it was often invaded and constantly a target of intrigue. In 20 BCE, Augustus placed a Roman client king, Tigranes III (ruled 20 – 10 BCE), on the Armenian throne.
This diplomatic triumph was celebrated on a series of coins.
The silver denarius inscribed ARMENIA CAPTA combines symbols associated with the region: the distinctive tall “tiara” crown worn by Armenian kings, and a bow case and quiver (Armenian cavalry were famed for their skill in archery).
DESIGN:
Obverse side
Bare head of Augustus right
Legend:
AVGVSTVS

Reverse side
Armenian tiara with quiver of arrows and a bow in bowcase
Legend:
ARMENIA CAPTA

A perfect choice for Numismatists, Historians, Military Veterans, Collectors.