 |
| The Coin Collection |
 |
Etchmiadzin |
|
 |
 |
Ancient coins of gold, silver, copper, and nickel occupy a special place among the treasures of the Mother See of Etchmiadzin.
The oldest of these coins dates from the 5th century (before our era), while the newest is of contemporary vintage, originating in different countries of the world. The ancient coins, struck in Greece and the prosperous Greek trading cities of Asia Minor, are definite examples of pictorial represantations of the classical Greek period, and especially of the Hellenistic era. Clearly visible on these are characters worshipped in pagan times, with their corresponding symbols.
Among the Hellenistic series an interesting segment is represented by the silver coins struck with the portraits of Alexander of Macedonia and the Seleucid kings. The coins of Roman origin, Republican and later the Imperial eras, are presented in their variety and richness. The coins of the Roman Republic are mainly dinars of the 2nd to 1st centuries before our era; they carry representations of Victoria, Mars, Jupiter, and the mythical twins, with inscriptions in Latin script. The coins of the Imperial era present, aside from figures of deities, portraits of Augustus Octavianus, Nero, Dometrianus, Marius Trajanus, Antonius Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, and others carved by Roman master engravers.
An important segment of the collection refers to the period of the fall of the Empire, the so-called "Late Roman" or "Early Byzantine" coins that belong to the 4th to 5th centuries of our era.
The Parthian Kingdom is represented with coins bearing the portraits of the Arshakuni rulers Mithridat, Orontes, Sanatruk, Vartan, Vagharsh, and others. Next to royal portraits, Parthian coins carry inscriptions of the titles of each ruler in Greek. These Parthian coins of the 2nd to 1st centuries (before our era) that bear royal portraits are significant for the task of clarifying the local peculiarities in the development of Hellenistic culture in Iran. The collection also includes individual samples of Sassanian coins minted in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, particularly with the portraits of Emperors Shapuh and Nerseh. Coins from the Late Sassanian period bearing pictures of Khosrow Anushirvan and Khosrow Parvis as well as coins bearing Pahlavic inscriptions of their names are among those that have been preserved. These coins were widely used in Armenia and neighboring countries.
The coins of Byzantine origin minted in the 12th century in gold or in copper - the latter predominantly for internal trade - were placed in to circulation during the Macedonian (Armenian) era of the Byzantine Empire. Coins struck during the reigns of Constantine Lucas and Romanus D. Diogenes are numerous.
Among the Arabic coins preserved are Umayyad and Abbasid currencies minted in the 9th and 10th centuries in the trading cities of Iraq and Iran (Dimashq-Vasio, Medinat-as-Salaam). The Abbasid coins minted in the cities of Dvin and Partav are significant for Armenian history. Beside the names of the cities, the coins bear the names of the local princes in Arabic.
The Seljuk and Mongol coins of the 12th and 13th centuries are relatively fewer in the collection. Of the Seljuk coins specific mention must be made of the coins of the Yerdguzian (Irdegizian) Atabegs which were distributed in Azerbaijan, Georgia (eastern) and the northeastern regions of historic Armenia. The Yerdguzian coins are made exclusively of copper and in the 12th century had exchange and credit value. Of the Mongol coins specific attention is devoted to coins minted with the Christian cross; these were struck in 1180 during Hulagu's reign in regions where the population was predominantly Christian.
The largest group in the collection is comprised of the coins of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. Almost all the kings of Cilician Armenia are represented with their monetary units bearing distinctive samples of pictoriography; most of these date from the 13th century. Currencies placed in circulation during the reign of King Levon I (1196-1219) had as much functional value during the Hetumian as during the Rubinian periods.
Another important section in the collection is comprised of the individual samples of copper coins from the Safavid, Ahajarian, and Afsharian dynasties of Iran. These are coins with Persian inscriptions struck in Erevan, as well as silver and copper coins with Persian inscriptions released in Tiflis. Among the Georgian coins are also silver ones with Georgian inscriptions released during the 19th century.
In the coin collection of Mother See of Etchmiadzin one may see distinctive coins of different periods from the Ottoman and Russian Empires and from the various states of Western Europe and America. This collection reflects the historic ties of the Mother See with the outside world.KHACHIK VIOLJSHEGHIAN
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|