★ A very rare bronze of Tiridates II ★

KINGS OF ARMENIA. Tiridates II (?), circa 217-252. AE (Bronze, 25 mm, 5.48 g, 12 h). Bearded head of Tiridates II to right, wearing five-pointed tiara tied with a diadem; all within laurel wreath. Rev. 𐡕𐡊𐡓𐡈 / ɴ𐡌𐡋𐡁 / ΛIΛ ('trdt mlk' in Aramaic) within laurel wreath. Kovacs 203. Very rare. An attractive example of this difficult issue with a fine portrait. Struck on a somewhat irregular flan, otherwise, very fine.

From an important collection of Armenian coins.

The legends on this coin and the following lot 536 below are often blundered and hard to read, but the issue 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.