{"product_id":"croesus-561-546-bc-gold-1-12-stater-lion-bull-ngc-ms-5-5-ancient-lydia-rare-coin","title":"Croesus 561-546 BC Gold 1\/12 Stater Lion Bull NGC MS 5\/5 Ancient Lydia Rare Coin","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKING CROESUS GOLD — OVER 2,500 YEARS OLD\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNGC MINT STATE • PERFECT 5\/5 STRIKE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOffered here is a remarkable piece of ancient monetary history: a gold 1\/12 Stater of King Croesus of Lydia, struck circa 561–546 BC and certified Mint State by NGC Ancients.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLydia – King Croesus (561–546 BC)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAV Gold 1\/12 Stater – “Light Series”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight: 0.68 grams\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNGC Mint State\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStrike: 5\/5\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSurface: 3\/5 – Scuff\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNGC Certification #6836576-004\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe obverse features the famous confronted lion and bull, one of the most recognizable designs in all of ancient numismatics. The reverse carries the deeply impressed incuse punch characteristic of this early gold coinage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTHE KING WHOSE NAME BECAME SYNONYMOUS WITH WEALTH\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFew names from antiquity remain part of our language more than 2,500 years later.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCroesus.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe legendary king of Lydia became so famous for his extraordinary wealth that the expression “rich as Croesus” survived for centuries.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMore importantly for numismatists, Croesus presided over one of the great turning points in the history of money. Lydia had already pioneered early electrum coinage, but under Croesus the monetary system evolved into separately issued gold and silver coinage of standardized weight and purity—an enormously important development in the history of commerce.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis tiny gold coin is a surviving artifact from that revolution.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTHE LION AND THE BULL\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe confronted lion and bull became the signature design of Croeseid coinage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDespite measuring only a fraction of the size of most ancient gold coins, this example retains remarkably strong definition. NGC awarded the coin a perfect Strike designation of 5\/5, an important distinction on a denomination where fitting recognizable portions of both animals onto such a tiny flan could be challenging.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd remarkably, after approximately 2,570 years, the coin remains certified Mint State.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe NGC label notes a surface scuff, reflected in its 3\/5 surface designation and visible in the high-resolution photography. It is fully accounted for in our pricing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA SMALL COIN WITH AN ENORMOUS STORY\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAncient coins don’t have to be large to be historically important.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis little piece of gold was struck when the Persian Empire was expanding, more than a century before the age of Alexander the Great and centuries before the Roman Empire.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCroesus himself would ultimately be defeated by Cyrus the Great of Persia, making his reign one of the great crossroads between the Greek-influenced world of western Anatolia and the emerging Persian Empire.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor collectors looking for a genuine ancient gold coin tied to one of history’s most famous kings, Croeseid gold occupies a special place.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWHY THIS COIN?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ Genuine ancient gold of King Croesus\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ Approximately 2,570 years old\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ NGC certified MINT STATE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ Perfect NGC 5\/5 Strike\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ Desirable 0.68g Light Series denomination\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ Iconic lion-and-bull design\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ Connected to one of the most important developments in monetary history\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✓ Professionally encapsulated and authenticated by NGC Ancients\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is exactly the type of ancient coin that can appeal beyond the traditional ancient-coin collector—to collectors of historic gold, early money, Persian and Greek history, and important artifacts of Western civilization.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⸻\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eABOUT CAPSTONE ACQUISITIONS\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCapstone Acquisitions has specialized in rare coins, precious metals and historically significant numismatic material since 2004.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe are proud members of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) and the International Association of Professional Numismatists (IAPN), organizations representing many of the world’s leading professional numismatists.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe carefully select coins that combine rarity, quality, history and collector appeal.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhether this is your first ancient gold coin or another addition to an advanced collection, we appreciate the opportunity to earn your business.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"capstonecoins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48996107583641,"sku":null,"price":9574.88,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0464\/6948\/0601\/files\/250FAD72-936D-4CBC-8BEC-7B6246AE866D.jpg?v=1788893947","url":"https:\/\/capstonecoins.com\/products\/croesus-561-546-bc-gold-1-12-stater-lion-bull-ngc-ms-5-5-ancient-lydia-rare-coin","provider":"capstonecoins","version":"1.0","type":"link"}