DRACHM: COIN OF CAPPADOCIA (TURKEY)
Drachm, 95-63 BC: Kingdom of Cappadocia
Kingdom of Cappadocia (331 BC - 17 AD) — Hellenistic-era Iranian kingdom in the historical region of Cappadocia in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) that in 17 AD during the reign of Roman emperor Tiberius was incorporated as a Roman province. The history of this ancient state formation is connected with several cultural civilizations that were closely intertwined in one place: modern Turkish Cappadocia was significantly influenced by the ancient Greeks, Iranians, and Romans.
Ruler: Ariobarzanes I Philoromaios — king of Cappadocia from 95 to 62 BC, the founder of the Ariobarzanid dynasty on the Cappadocian throne. He spent most of his reign fighting the Kingdom of Pontus. He came from a noble Hellenized Cappadocian family, which probably had good relations with the Romans, so Ariobarzanes, after the death of King Ariarathes IX in 95 BC, received support from the Roman Senate and became the new king.
The legend on the coin (the ruler's name and date) is indicated in Greek letters.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΡΙΟΒΑΡΖΑΝΟΥ ΦΙΛΟΡΩΜΑΙΟΥ: King Ariobarzanes Philoromaios (from romanized Ancient Greek term "Φιλορωμαίος" which means "Friend to the Romans").
At the bottom, there is an indication in Greek letters of the date of issue of the coin, but this inscription has been completely lost.
Athena Nikephoros holding little Nike in right hand (goddess who personifies victory; In Greek literature Nike is described as both an attribute and attendant to the gods Zeus and Athena) with spear and shield.
Diademed king Ariobarzanes.
- Silver: 17 mm - 3.07 g
- Reference price: 67$
COIN DRACHM — WHERE & WHEN (coins catalog: by names & emitents)
- ANCIENT GREECE, many-many issuers (6th century BC — 1th century AD): drachm = 6 obol
DRACHM as coin name.
Drachm (plural: drachmae) — one of the oldest denominations of coins in the world, as well as an ancient measure of weight (known as drachme) and ancestor of the former monetary unit of modern Greece (during 1832-2002) called drachma.
It originated initially in archaic Greece as 6 metal bars collected in a pile, each of which was called obol. Later, this name was given to a silver ingot weighing 1/60 of a mina (ancient Near Eastern unit of weight for silver or gold). Later, around the 6th century BC, a number of ancient Greek city-states began issuing the silver drachm coin as a more progressive form of money at that time. Almost simultaneously, small obol appeared as 1/6 of this Greek main coin.
Depending on the issuer and historical period, the silver drachm had a different weight — mostly up to 6 grams.
Derived denominations of this coin were also issued: hemidrachm (1/2 drachm), didrachm (2 drachmae), tetradrachm (4 drachmae), dekadrachm (10 drachmae)...
The influence of Ancient Greece on the development of human civilization is difficult to overestimate. Therefore, it is not surprising that at one time the name of the Greek coin spread far beyond the southern Balkans. Thus, in numismatic catalogs you can see many, many types of drachm coins from a number of issuers of the Mediterranean, Gaul, Central and Eastern Europe, Roman provinces, the Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia and Caucasia, Persia, India...
Drachm in fact became a global coin that existed for about 2000 years!
The coin name drachm is derived from the "δράσσομαι" meaning "handful". Initially a drachm was a fistful of six obol — metal sticks, originally used for roasting lamb. It is believed that the obol were also used as a form of early currency and being a form of "bullion": bronze, copper, or iron ingots denominated by weight in a barter system.
