Ancient Solid Gold Coin Daric Achaemenid Empire 420 - 375 BC




Item History & Price

Information:
Reference Number: Avaluer:344872
Original Description:
Achaemenid Empire, Time of Xerxes II to Artaxerxes II, c. 420-375 BCE
8.3 grams
16 mm

Obverse: King running right in kneeling position, wearing crowned helmet and flowing tunic, holding spear in right hand and bow in left, quiver over right shoulder
Reverse: Oblong irregular incuse punch

"The daric became the first ancient gold coin to enter into widespread, international use and was one of the most recognizable coins of the ancient world, including being the ear...liest coin mentioned in the Old Testament.The Persians themselves traditionally relied on barter rather than coinage but upon their conquering of the Lydian Kingdom in the mid-sixth century BCE, they quickly adopted the innovative concept of coinage. The Persians found themselves frequently in conflict with Greek city states and needed to employ Greek mercenaries who expected to be paid with coins, resulting in the demand for the production of a consistent coinage.Not wanting to retain the designs of the defeated Lydian king Croesus, the Great King Darius I transitioned the Lydian gold stater into a new denomination, the daric, named after him. The Greeks would often colloquially call these ancient coins toxotai, archers, after their iconic design.The Persian king is depicted in a “running kneeling” position which represented an early approach for portraying motion on coinage. The core design remained largely unchanged for the 185 years during which darics were minted, emphasizing the conservative nature of the type.The Persians put a focus on the purity of the metal – between 98-99% gold – rather than the artistry of the coin. This resulted in the vast majority of darics being of a very crude style. However, some fine examples like this one were elegantly produced in a fine, naturalistic style, showing a significant improvement in the depiction of the king thanks to a brief artistic recovery.Alexander the Great conquered the Persians in 329 BCE but the daric would outlive the Empire, continuing to be struck under Alexander and his successors until it was eventually fully replaced by Alexander’s stater around 300 BCE."Beautiful ancient coin that you can personally touch, feel its heft, and admire up close and personal without a plastic cage around it.Just my opinion but condition looks Extremely Fine or better to me.Great starting price. Free shipping & insurance.Ex. Pars CoinsI am not a coin expert but I do my honest best to describe the coins that I do sell. See my perfect Feedback and note the various higher value objects I have sold and the very positive comments made by the buyers.------------------------------------------------
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