RARE ARMENIAN COIN TURNS UP AT VERMONT ESTATE SALE

2009/08/19 | 10:45

Culture

A rare Armenian coin, dating back to the 10th or 11th century, has
shown up in a box of old coins purchased for $28.25 at an estate sale
in Vermont, U.S.

The prize coin was an Armenian bronze follis of "Kiurike the
Kouropalates". Modeled after contemporary coins of the Byzantine
Empire, it belongs to the first coinage with Armenian inscriptions.

The precise attribution of the coin is debated since it contains
no indication of date or mint. NGC says that authorities generally
agree that it is from Lori, a region in northeastern Greater Armenia,
and that it likely was struck in the city of Tashir.

The inscription, which is the earliest appearance of Armenian language
on a coin, translates to "May God aid Kiurike the Kouropalates," and
shows that the issuer claimed the title Kouropalates ("charge of the
palace"), a rank awarded by Byzantine emperors to vassal rulers of
Armenia. However, scholars are divided over which Kiurike issued the
coin, some preferring the dynast Kiurike I (c. 979-989) and others
his grandson Kiurike II (c. 1048-1100).

It was Richard Martineit’s good fortune to be at that auction in
October 2007, where more than 1,500 lots were sold over two days. One
that caught his eye was a group of 13 coins in a box labeled "Roman &
Ancient pieces."

It contained a variety of silver and base metal coins issued from
the 3rd century B.C.E. to the 11th century C.E. Highlights included
a Roman silver denarius of 41 B.C.E. with the portraits of warlords
Marc Antony and Octavian, and three coins struck by Greek and Roman
rulers of Egypt.

Without proper identification, the Armenian coin might have remained
unknown until it entered the marketplace as an ordinary Byzantine
coin, valued at perhaps $50, according to Numismatic Guaranty
Corporation. the firm that appraised the coins.