{"product_id":"420-375-bc-achaemenid-gold-daric-ngc-ch-ms-star-5-5-fine-style-finest-known","title":"420-375 BC Achaemenid Gold Daric NGC Ch MS* Star 5\/5 Fine Style Finest Known","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA PERFECT PERSIAN GOLD DARIC — NGC CHOICE MINT STATE★ • 5\/5 • 5\/5 • FINE STYLE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eACHAEMENID PERSIAN EMPIRE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTime of Darius II – Artaxerxes II\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCirca 420–375 BC\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSardes Mint\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAV Gold Daric – 8.363 grams\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNGC Choice Mint State★\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStrike: 5\/5 | Surface: 5\/5\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFINE STYLE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTied for Finest Known\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are Persian Darics — and then there are Darics like this.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis extraordinary gold Daric combines virtually everything the advanced collector hopes to find on one of the most famous gold coins of antiquity:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChoice Mint State. Perfect 5\/5 Strike. Perfect 5\/5 Surface. NGC Star designation. Fine Style.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat combination places this coin firmly among the elite survivors of the entire Achaemenid gold series.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe obverse depicts the celebrated Persian Great King or royal hero in the famous kneeling-running stance, armed with bow and spear and wearing the distinctive royal kidaris, or Persian crown, together with the flowing kandys, the royal robe.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd the style of this particular die is exceptional.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLook closely at the king.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe unusually elegant treatment of the kidaris, sharply articulated beard and facial profile, deeply defined robe and almost sculptural folds of the kandys create an artistic presentation dramatically superior to that encountered on the overwhelming majority of Persian Darics.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is precisely why the FINE STYLE designation matters.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFine Style is not simply a technical grade. It recognizes the artistry of the dies themselves — and on ancient coins, where individual engravers produced dramatically different interpretations of the same design, the difference can be enormous.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThen comes the NGC Star★.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNGC reserves the Star for coins possessing exceptional eye appeal. Combine that with Choice Mint State, 5\/5 Strike, 5\/5 Surface and Fine Style, and the result is an extraordinary confluence of preservation, strike and ancient artistry.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTHE GOLD OF THE GREAT KINGS\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Daric was one of the most important monetary instruments of the ancient world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStruck to the exceptionally reliable Persian gold standard, Darics circulated throughout an empire stretching from Asia Minor and Egypt eastward toward Central Asia and the Indus Valley. Greek soldiers, merchants and states were intimately familiar with Persian gold, and enormous payments in Darics appear throughout the political and military history of the Classical world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis coin was struck at Sardes, the great former Lydian capital whose minting traditions reached back to Croesus and some of the earliest important gold coinage in history. Modern references classify this issue as Carradice Type IIIb, Group C \/ Sunrise 28, dating it approximately 420–375 BC. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIts manufacture therefore falls across the reigns of Darius II and Artaxerxes II, during a remarkable period in Persian and Greek history that included the final years of the Peloponnesian War, Persian intervention in Greek affairs, the expedition of Cyrus the Younger, and Xenophon’s famous march of the Ten Thousand.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis was not symbolic gold.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis was imperial money.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGold capable of paying soldiers, financing armies, rewarding officials and moving wealth across one of history’s greatest empires.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTHE KIND OF DARIC THAT SETS RECORDS\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn essentially comparable Achaemenid Daric graded NGC Choice MS★ 5\/5 Strike, 5\/5 Surface, Fine Style realized $26,400 at Heritage Auctions in 2022. Heritage specifically described that specimen as “Tied for Finest Certified.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMore significantly for today’s market, in April 2026 Heritage sold another Sardes Group C Daric graded NGC Choice MS 5\/5–5\/5 Fine Style — without the coveted Star designation — for $29,280. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe present coin adds the elusive NGC ★ designation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat is the difference between simply owning an excellent Persian Daric and owning one of the coins against which other Darics are compared.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTHE COMPLETE PACKAGE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ NGC Choice Mint State★\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ Perfect 5\/5 Strike\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ Perfect 5\/5 Surface\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ Fine Style\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ Exceptional royal kidaris and facial detail\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ Carradice Type IIIb, Group C\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ Sardes Mint\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ Circa 420–375 BC\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ Full-weight 8.363 gram Persian Daric\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ Tied for Finest Known\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor the collector building a world-class cabinet of ancient gold, Persian history, Biblical-era coinage or the great monetary issues of civilization, this is an opportunity that deserves serious consideration.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOrdinary Darics are obtainable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Choice Mint State★, 5\/5–5\/5, Fine Style Daric of this artistic caliber is an entirely different proposition.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA magnificent piece of Persian royal gold from the empire of the Great Kings — preserved essentially as struck after approximately 2,400 years.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGuaranteed genuine and certified by NGC Ancients.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCapstone Acquisitions, LP\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eProfessional Numismatists Guild Member\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInternational Association of Professional Numismatists Member\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eServing serious collectors of important rare coins and ancient gold since 2004.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"capstonecoins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48995806380185,"sku":null,"price":43788.69,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0464\/6948\/0601\/files\/38290CB4-7F33-47AB-86A9-EF499D62FB96.jpg?v=1788887607","url":"https:\/\/capstonecoins.com\/products\/420-375-bc-achaemenid-gold-daric-ngc-ch-ms-star-5-5-fine-style-finest-known","provider":"capstonecoins","version":"1.0","type":"link"}