Stack's Bowers & Ponterio
January 2014 NYINC Auction - Sess. A-B 10-11 January 2014
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ARMENIA. Greater Armenia. Tashir-Lori. Kiurike II (ca. 1048-1100 A.D.). AE Follis (7.11 gms) ND.
Nercessian-514. Facing bust of Christ with cross nimbate, wearing himation; in field l. and r. I[SOU]S and K[RISDO]S in Armenian letters; Reverse: Armenian inscription in five lines: "May the Lord help Kiurike the Kouropalates". The importance of this unique issue of Armenian medieval coinage was eloquently summarized by David M. Lang in ANS Museum Notes VI in 1954: "...this is the earliest monetary issue to bear an inscription in Armenia, as well as being the only such type struck within Great Armenia in Transcaucasia before the transference of the kingdom to Little Armenia in Cilicia." The obverse and reverse types imitate that of the anonymous folles of the Byzantine Emperor John I Tzimiskes (969-76 AD) and his successors, coins that would have been abundantly familiar in the Lori region of northern Armenian where the coins of Kiurike were issued, due to direct contact of Byzantium. In fact, according to Lang, the title Kouropalates was bestowed upon "the most prominent local dynasts on the fringes of the Byzantine empire [who] vied eagerly for the dignity of Kuropalates, the granting of which signified favour and recognition by the Byzantine court." Lang believes this to have been an issue early in the reign of Kiurike II, between 1048 and 1064. In response to Lang's argument for attribution to Kiurike II, Philip Grierson makes a strong argument in favor of Kiurike I (979-989), grandfather of Kiurike II. As such, NGC has attributed this coin to Kiurike I/II on its insert.
In addition to its historical importance, this specimen very well may be the finest known survivor of an EXTREMELY RARE issue, its features sharper and its surfaces superior to every other specimen of which we are aware. Margo-Lena Garabedian's article "Coins of King Kiurke" in the December 2005 issue of the Armenian Numismatic Journal, documents 20 specimens, including 1 in silver; of these 20, the whereabouts of only 15 were then known to her, the other 5 she listed from mentions of specimens in various older texts. We know of only 6 specimens in private hands, including this present specimen, 2 not listed in her census, plus 3 that have traded at public auction in recent times. Of these auctioned specimens, the most recent was the piece we (Stack's) sold as part of our January 2009 Auction Moneta Imperii Romani Byzantini, which is probably the next sharpest extant specimen and which sold for $10,350, a seeming bargain with the distance of 5 years. The current specimen is rather incredible in that it is was purchased by our consignor Richard Martineit unattributed in a group lot of ancient and medieval coins from a Burlington, Vermont estate sale in October 2007 for all of $28.25 for the lot! Upon submitting this coin, thought at the time to be a Byzantine follis, to NGC for attribution and grading, its true identity was discovered by David Vagi, director of NGC Ancients, with the help of Robert Hoge, then curator at the American Numismatic Society. Here is a chance to own what is possibly the finest known of the most historically important medieval Armenian coin. Attractive light brown with darker high points, surfaces very smooth for the issue. Struck a trifle off-center, weakening the last few letters in the reverse legend.
NGC Ch VF, Strike: 4/5 Surface: 4/5.
From the Richard Martineit Collection. The full article relating the exciting discovery of this specimen can be accessed at www.ngccoin.com/news/viewarticle.aspx?NewsletterNewsArticleID=603.
Nercessian-514. Facing bust of Christ with cross nimbate, wearing himation; in field l. and r. I[SOU]S and K[RISDO]S in Armenian letters; Reverse: Armenian inscription in five lines: "May the Lord help Kiurike the Kouropalates". The importance of this unique issue of Armenian medieval coinage was eloquently summarized by David M. Lang in ANS Museum Notes VI in 1954: "...this is the earliest monetary issue to bear an inscription in Armenia, as well as being the only such type struck within Great Armenia in Transcaucasia before the transference of the kingdom to Little Armenia in Cilicia." The obverse and reverse types imitate that of the anonymous folles of the Byzantine Emperor John I Tzimiskes (969-76 AD) and his successors, coins that would have been abundantly familiar in the Lori region of northern Armenian where the coins of Kiurike were issued, due to direct contact of Byzantium. In fact, according to Lang, the title Kouropalates was bestowed upon "the most prominent local dynasts on the fringes of the Byzantine empire [who] vied eagerly for the dignity of Kuropalates, the granting of which signified favour and recognition by the Byzantine court." Lang believes this to have been an issue early in the reign of Kiurike II, between 1048 and 1064. In response to Lang's argument for attribution to Kiurike II, Philip Grierson makes a strong argument in favor of Kiurike I (979-989), grandfather of Kiurike II. As such, NGC has attributed this coin to Kiurike I/II on its insert.
In addition to its historical importance, this specimen very well may be the finest known survivor of an EXTREMELY RARE issue, its features sharper and its surfaces superior to every other specimen of which we are aware. Margo-Lena Garabedian's article "Coins of King Kiurke" in the December 2005 issue of the Armenian Numismatic Journal, documents 20 specimens, including 1 in silver; of these 20, the whereabouts of only 15 were then known to her, the other 5 she listed from mentions of specimens in various older texts. We know of only 6 specimens in private hands, including this present specimen, 2 not listed in her census, plus 3 that have traded at public auction in recent times. Of these auctioned specimens, the most recent was the piece we (Stack's) sold as part of our January 2009 Auction Moneta Imperii Romani Byzantini, which is probably the next sharpest extant specimen and which sold for $10,350, a seeming bargain with the distance of 5 years. The current specimen is rather incredible in that it is was purchased by our consignor Richard Martineit unattributed in a group lot of ancient and medieval coins from a Burlington, Vermont estate sale in October 2007 for all of $28.25 for the lot! Upon submitting this coin, thought at the time to be a Byzantine follis, to NGC for attribution and grading, its true identity was discovered by David Vagi, director of NGC Ancients, with the help of Robert Hoge, then curator at the American Numismatic Society. Here is a chance to own what is possibly the finest known of the most historically important medieval Armenian coin. Attractive light brown with darker high points, surfaces very smooth for the issue. Struck a trifle off-center, weakening the last few letters in the reverse legend.
NGC Ch VF, Strike: 4/5 Surface: 4/5.
From the Richard Martineit Collection. The full article relating the exciting discovery of this specimen can be accessed at www.ngccoin.com/news/viewarticle.aspx?NewsletterNewsArticleID=603.