LYDIAN KINGDOM. King Alyates First Money Minted In Europe⭐Gold EL 1/6 Stater.
Item History & Price
Lovely Coin Purchased from ACM -coins (ancientcoins.market) Auction 255This is their description.
KINGS of LYDIA. Alyattes.
Circa 620/10-564/53 BC.
Gold EL Hekte – Sixth Stater (10.5mm, 2.33 g).
Obverse: Sardes mint. Head of roaring lion right, “sun” with no rays on forehead; WALW (in Lydian) downward on right, read from outside-in ( traces visible); all on plain background
Reverse: Two square punches.
Reference: Weidauer Group XVII, ...103 (same die and punches); SNG Ashmolean 755 corr. (legend not noted)
Comments On This Specimen: Well struck for issue. Rare legend variety.
Additional Comments: Known examples of electrum coins inscribed in the name of the Lydian king Alyattes (rendered WALWET in Lydian script) were in the single digits until recently, when several examples appeared on the market. They remain rare and are certainly among the first coins in history to carry an inscription along with a “type.” The dies of third-staters (trites) and sixth-staters (like this specimen) were engraved with two confronting lion heads with the Lydian legend between them; however, the flans are invariably too small to show both heads. Only a tiny number possess an inscription as complete as the one seen here, with nearly all letters present.
KINGS of LYDIA. Alyattes.
Circa 620/10-564/53 BC.
Gold EL Hekte – Sixth Stater (10.5mm, 2.33 g).
Obverse: Sardes mint. Head of roaring lion right, “sun” with no rays on forehead; WALW (in Lydian) downward on right, read from outside-in ( traces visible); all on plain background
Reverse: Two square punches.
Reference: Weidauer Group XVII, ...103 (same die and punches); SNG Ashmolean 755 corr. (legend not noted)
Comments On This Specimen: Well struck for issue. Rare legend variety.
Additional Comments: Known examples of electrum coins inscribed in the name of the Lydian king Alyattes (rendered WALWET in Lydian script) were in the single digits until recently, when several examples appeared on the market. They remain rare and are certainly among the first coins in history to carry an inscription along with a “type.” The dies of third-staters (trites) and sixth-staters (like this specimen) were engraved with two confronting lion heads with the Lydian legend between them; however, the flans are invariably too small to show both heads. Only a tiny number possess an inscription as complete as the one seen here, with nearly all letters present.
