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standard 14.1 grams electrum stater (about 70%). Once this was done the coins were lightened to 8.1 grams corresponding to the true weight of gold in the electrum coins, which had often been voluntarily debased. Reducing the weight of the gold stater to 8.1 grams also allowed to simplify the exchange mechanism between gold and silver, as now 1 gold stater of 8.1 grams corresponded precisely in value to 10 silver staters of 10.7 grams, or to 20 silver coins of 5.35 grams (weight of the future
Achaemenid
111:, a variable mix of gold and silver (with about 54% gold and 44% silver), and were in use in Lydia, its capital city Sardis and surrounding areas for about 80 years before Croesus' reign as King of Lydia. The unpredictability of electrum coins' composition implied that they had a variable value, which greatly hampered the development of standardised coinage. The royal symbol stamped on the coin, similar to a seal, was a declaration of the value of the contents in gold, silver or electrum.
251:
44:
273:
318:
contrary, the actual composition of various electrum coins was very hard to determine, so that the true intrinsic value of each coin could not be easily estimated. The royal symbol, or stamp, created by
Aylettes gave the coins a declared value and today we still use a token currency, where the value is guaranteed by the state and not by the value of the metal used in the coins.
496:. Although the gold Daric became an international currency which was found throughout the Ancient world, the circulation of the silver Sigloi remained very much limited to Asia Minor: important hoards of Sigloi are only found in these areas, and finds of Sigloi beyond are always very limited and marginal compared to Greek coins, even in Achaemenid territories.
344:) - are facing each other in truce; Note that hunting lions attack from the rear, also imagery of a predator and prey lying down together in peace is reflected in other ancient literature, e.g. "...the calf and the lion and the yearling together..." c.700BC. In the historical context of Lydia's alliance with
317:
The great advantage of the
Croeseids compared to their electrum predecessors is that they were very reliable: the pure gold and pure silver coins all had a clear intrinsic value, entirely guaranteed by their purity and clearly defined by their weight, which, as an added benefit, was standard. On the
227:
squares. The coins were minted in Sardis. The gold and the silver were refined in Sardis from raw electrum in workshops in Sardis. Recent archaeological excavations have shown stratigraphically that the first
Croeseids were indeed issued by Croesus before the Achaemenid invasion, and not after the
309:
Soon after however, the gold coins were struck in a lighter standard of 8.1 grams. The modification of the weight may have been the result of a policy to exchange and remove all electrum coins in circulation with the heavier format, the 10.7 grams corresponding to the nominal weight of gold in a
327:
The lion attacking the bull motif on this coin type has been variously theorized as symbolizing the sun and moon, spring and winter (the fall of the constellation Taurus corresponded to the date of the spring sowing), strength and fertility, Asia Minor and Europe, and Lydia and its neighbor
222:
Croesus replaced all the electrum coins by gold and silver coins using a single coin type: the facing foreparts of a lion and a bull. Compared to later copies made by the
Achaemenids, the original Croeseid use a more natural rendering of the two animals. The reverse was struck with two
425:, dated to circa 515 BC, confirming that they had been recently minted under Achaemenid rule. The deposit did not have any Daric and Sigloi, which also suggests strongly that these Achaemenid coins only started to be minted later, after the foundation of the
485:, followed the weight standard of the Croeseid, and is therefore considered to be later and derived from the Croeseid. The weight of the Daric would then be modified through a metrological reform, probably under Darius I.
231:
The gold coins had an initial weight of 10.7 grams. The silver coins also were issued in 10.7 grams, together with many smaller denominations, from 1/3 to 1/48. This makes it the world's first
352:, possibly Croesus’ mother, to his father, Alyettes (AKA a later Midas). However, any peace between Lydians and Greeks is not to be confused with Croesus’ attempted conquest of
668:
701:
Isaiah 11:6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
410:
according to the model of the
Croeseid until around 520 BC. The design of the animals though was more rigid, less natural, than the original Lydian issues.
635:
448:
137:
So far as we have any knowledge, they were the first people to introduce the use of gold and silver coins, and the first who sold goods by retail.
168:
477:, the minting of Croeseid in Sardis was then replaced by the minting of Darics and Sigloi, probably around 515 BC. The earliest gold coin of the
454:
Type II Daric ("King shooting arrow") temp. Darios I to Xerxes I. Circa 505-480 BC. There are no Type I coins known in Darics (only in Sigloi).
684:
1912-1996., Grimal, Pierre, (1991). The
Penguin dictionary of classical mythology. Kershaw, Stephen. ( ed.). London, England: Penguin Books.
29:
466:
The first type of Siglos (Type I: "King with bow and arrows", upper body of the king only), from the time of Darius I. Circa 520-505 BC
107:
had already started to mint various types of non-standardized coins. They were made in a naturally occurring material called
288:
384:. Circa 545-520 BC. Weight: 8.06g, Sardis mint. The design of the animals is more rigid than the original Lydian issues.
825:
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406:, he adopted the bimetallic system initially introduced by Croesus, and continued to strike gold and silver coins at
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Fisher, William Bayne; Gershevitch, I.; Boyle, John Andrew; Yarshater, Ehsan; Frye, Richard Nelson (1968).
784:
Fisher, William Bayne; Gershevitch, I.; Boyle, John Andrew; Yarshater, Ehsan; Frye, Richard Nelson (1968).
738:
Fisher, William Bayne; Gershevitch, I.; Boyle, John Andrew; Yarshater, Ehsan; Frye, Richard Nelson (1968).
605:
Fisher, William Bayne; Gershevitch, I.; Boyle, John Andrew; Yarshater, Ehsan; Frye, Richard Nelson (1968).
98:
632:
857:
356:. Notwithstanding, the croeseid symbolism of peace between the Greeks of Asia Minor, Lydians and later
258:
equivalence: 1 gold
Croeseid of 8.1 grams was equivalent in value to 10 silver Croeseids of 10.7 grams.
198:
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Silver
Croeseid, minted by King Croesus, circa 560-546 BC (10.7 grams, Sardis mint)
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http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0548.tlg001.perseus-eng1:2.7
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mentioned the innovation of coinage, and standard coinage, made by the
Lydians:
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with a standardised purity for general circulation, and the world's first
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35:
Gold Croeseid, circa 561-546 BC. Heavy series: 10.76 grams, Sardes mint.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/7cEz771FSeOLptGIElaquA
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Sardis remained the central mint for the Persian Darics and Sigloi of
81:) from around 550 BC. Croesus is credited with issuing the first true
432:
114:
82:
66:, was a type of coin, either in gold or silver, which was minted in
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Gold Croeseid, circa 550 BC. Light series: 8.07 grams, Sardes mint.
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Amelia Dowler, Curator, British Museum; A History of the World;
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675:- had Agelaus, from whom the family of Croesus was descended."
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Coin § Lydian_and_Ionian_electrum_coins_(circa_600_BC)
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The gold and silver Croeseids formed the world's first
413:
These coins were found in very fresh condition in the
417:, coins deposited under the foundation stone of the
433:Replacement of the Croeseids by Achaemenid coinage
348:, an arrangement sealed by the marriage of Greek
839:
611:. Cambridge University Press. pp. 616–617.
591:New archaic coin finds at Sardis, AJA 109 (2005)
714:The Oxford Handbook of Greek and Roman Coinage
555:The Oxford Handbook of Greek and Roman Coinage
360:persisted long after Croesus’ death - until
228:Achaemenid as has sometimes been suggested.
820:. Cambridge University Press. p. 619.
790:. Cambridge University Press. p. 617.
744:. Cambridge University Press. p. 617.
558:. Oxford University Press. pp. 49–50.
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402:invaded Lydia, together with the rest of
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717:. Oxford University Press. p. 51.
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128:in electrum, 620-563 BC. Legend
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652:"Kroisos Coins - Croesus Coins"
695:
678:
658:
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364:introduced new coins c.500BC.
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175:Gold Croeseid, minted by King
132:("Alyattes") in Lydian script.
1:
817:The Cambridge History of Iran
787:The Cambridge History of Iran
767:DARIC – Encyclopaedia Iranica
741:The Cambridge History of Iran
608:The Cambridge History of Iran
588:Cahill, Nick; Kroll, John H.
499:
376:Achaemenid Croeseid, time of
292:The Croeseids were minted in
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711:Metcalf, William E. (2016).
552:Metcalf, William E. (2016).
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237:smaller silver denominations
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103:Before Croesus, his father
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214:bimetallic monetary system
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185:-546 BC. (10.7 grams,
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97:Further information:
368:Achaemenid Croeseids
289:class=notpageimage|
594:. pp. 609–614.
342:Seduction of Europa
671:2022-12-31 at the
638:2010-01-22 at the
490:Achaemenid coinage
439:Achaemenid coinage
390:Achaemenid coinage
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260:
239:had originated in
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63:Kroiseioi stateres
858:Achaemenid Empire
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479:Achaemenid Empire
396:Achaemenid Empire
346:Agamemnon of Cyme
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16:Lydian coin
842:Categories
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500:References
423:Persepolis
404:Asia Minor
388:See also:
340:(from the
256:bimetallic
233:bimetallic
183: 561
152:See also:
93:Precedents
83:gold coins
394:When the
322:Symbolism
254:Croeseid
161:Croeseids
115:Herodotus
77:(561–546
669:Archived
636:Archived
475:Darius I
382:Darius I
358:Persians
328:Phrygia.
300:(modern
140:—
126:Alyattes
124:Coin of
109:electrum
105:Alyattes
58:Croeseid
22:Croeseid
419:Apadana
354:Miletus
177:Croesus
75:Croesus
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481:, the
473:Under
408:Sardis
398:ruler
312:Siglos
302:Turkey
294:Sardis
280:Sardis
243:under
225:incuse
189:mint).
187:Sardis
130:Walwel
68:Sardis
853:Lydia
848:Coins
483:Daric
334:Lydia
298:Lydia
72:Lydia
822:ISBN
792:ISBN
746:ISBN
719:ISBN
686:ISBN
613:ISBN
560:ISBN
338:Zeus
56:The
421:in
380:to
844::
806:^
776:^
574:^
508:^
429:.
304:).
296:,
247:.
180:c.
89:.
79:BC
830:.
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568:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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