From Tigranes the Great to Cilician Armenia. Hamlet Hovsepyan's ancient rare coins

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Tuesday, 23 January, 2018, 21:20

Hamlet Hovsepyan - co-founder of "Hayordi" youth union NGO in Strasbourg, France, have traveled to Western and Cilician Armenia, also Republic of Armenia, has a unique set of Armenian culture samples, the reporter of mamul.am spok with him about it. "Since 2012 I'm collecting ancient Armenian items. Now I have ancient Armenian coins, mainly from the era of the Kingdom of Ararat some items - postcards, old paintings, articles about Armenians from French "L'Ilustration" magazine of 19-20 centuries, and also at the same time silver jewelry prepafed by armenian silver makers". Today we are going to present more interesting coins from his set and the story of achievement.
About first coin of his set, he tells the following "We tour in groups in Ani, suddenly I noticed a round thing, I took it, it was an outworn coin with letters in it, like Armenian letters, as I returned to Armenia I started searching on the internet, to know what I found. Unfortunately, I didn't find anything, but instead I noticed very interesting and beautiful coins released in Cilician Armenia.
I just returned from Cilicia, it can't be uninteresting. I took that coin to RA history museum department of money science, after exploration they said that it is Georgian medievar coin, intersected by Georgian Rusudan queen. As I returned to France. I started my searchings. There is a group of Armenian moneyologists, who help each other to find this or that money or for sale.
So, they includ me in the group. Now I have more than 100 coins. Intersected silver and bronze coins are the majority from the Cilician Armenia. Also I have coins refered to Armenians from Artaxiads, the era of the Kingdom of Sophene, Armenian king Leo V, Byzantine empire and also Roman Empire.

The most ancient coin is intersected by Armenian king Arsames II from the Kingdom of Sophene, which is deted B.C. 230. Intersected coin by Arsames II

I have another one, which is very interesting. It intersected by Artaxias I. On the first side is Artaxias I, on the other side - Grape bunch.

This coin is from Leo V Byzaantine empire. On the first side is Leo V, on the other side his son - Constantine.

I can seperate 2 of Cilician coins - Cilician Armenian prince Toros I, this rare coin.

On the first side is printed Hetoum king (Hetoum Armenian king). On the other side only is writen in Arabic - Seljuqs Kay-Qubadh.

I buy my coins mainly in auctions, also we exchange with moneyologists.
Unfortunately, today in Vernisage some thousand years old things are on free sale. And especially foreigners buy them. Many times I spoke about it, but governemental bodies don't pay attention. Today everybody anly want to become rich, very few people think about our cultural heritage."