Achaemenid Empire 420-375 BC Gold Daric NGC CHMS Fine Style One Of The FINEST

Achaemenid Empire, Time of Xerxes II to Artaxerxes II, c. 420-375 BCE. Daric (Gold, 16x14mm, 8.34g), Sardes.

Mint NGC Choice Mint State 5/5 Strike 5/5 Surface

Rare Fine Style designation is worth noting, this one was carefully crafted and struck powerfully.

Persian king moving to right, crowned, wearing robes and in the running-kneeling position, with quiver over his shoulder, holding transverse spear ending in a ball in his right hand and bow in his left. Rev. Oblong irregular incuse. BMC 84. Carradice Type IIIb, pl. XV, 50-51. Jenkins 34. A superb example, beautifully struck in high relief and unusually nice.

The gold 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 earliest coin mentioned in the Old Testament.

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 rare examples like this one are elegantly engraved in a fine, naturalistic style, showing a significant improvement in the depiction of the king thanks to a brief artistic recovery.

One of the Finest Known in existence. Worthy of any high quality collection or museum.