Kings of Armenia, Aristobulus and Salome, 54 – 72
Bronze, struck under Nero circa 66-67, Æ 13.75 g. BACIΛEΩC APICTOBOYΛOY [E]T IΓ Diademed head l. Rev. NEPΩ / NI KΛAY / ΔIΩ KΛAICA / PI CEBACTΩ / ΓEPMANI / KΩ within wreath. Recueil 2. Meshorer 4. Sofaer 171. Kovacs 299. RPC 3839. Extremely rare and in exceptional condition for the issue, undoubtedly the finest specimen known. Brown tone and about extremely fine Aristobulus was a son of Herod of Chalcis and through him a great-grandson of Herod the Great of Judaea. He was also the second husband of Salome, the infamous daughter of Herod Antipas who demanded the head of John the Baptist as a prize for her dancing skills. Unfortunately, little information survives regarding the reign of Aristobulus and his sordid queen. When his father died in AD 48, Aristobulus did not succeed to the client-kingdom of Chalcis, but was passed over in favor of his cousin, Herod Agrippa II, who was also a personal friend of the Emperor Claudius. However, after the death of Claudius in AD 54, the new Emperor Nero appointed Aristobulus to the client-kingdom of Armenia Minor as part of a policy of maintaining a buffer zone in the environs of Armenia against the neighboring Parthian Empire. The numismatic evidence shows that Aristobulus remained king of Armenia Minor at least until AD 72/1. In this year, Josephus reports that he participated in the Roman war against Antiochus IV of Commagene. However, the historians description of him as ”Aristobulus of the region named Chalcidene,” has raised questions over whether this means that by this time he also had authority over his fathers old domain in Ituraean Chalcis, or whether, as seems rather more likely, it is the name of a territory consisting of Armenia Minor, parts of Armenia Major, and Sophene. This extremely rare coin features a somewhat unflattering diademed portrait of Aristobulus on the obverse, but is exquisitely preserved for the issue, making it the finest known example. The surrounding inscription dates it to his thirteenth regnal year, which is normally considered to be AD 66/7 counting from AD 54. With such a date it has been suggested that the coin was struck in part to give material evidence of the client-kings loyalty at a time when the Roman Near East was in turmoil. Nero is prominently named in the reverse legend.