Ancient Gold

Lot 1970       Ancient Gold

Estimate $9,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $9,500

LYDIA, Sardes, time of King Croesus or later, (c.550-520 B.C.), gold light stater, (8.06 grams), obv. confronting foreparts of lion, facing right, and bull facing left, rev. two incuse punches of unequal size, side by side, (S.3415, Traite pl.10,2, SNG von Aulock 2875, I. Carradice, Coinage of the Persian Empire BAR Inter. Ser. 343, [1987], Pl.10, 6). Superb, good extremely fine and very rare.

Ex. Numismatic Fine Arts Summer 1993 sale, September 9, 1993, (lot 3078). $$ This coin is normally known as being issued by the Lydian king Croesus. Throughout the ancient world he was known for his legendary wealth, and it is therefore not surprising to find these most ancient of gold coins associated with this king. The lion is the paramount symbol of royality and as such is appropriate for his Lydian kingdom. According to Herodotus, the Lydians were the first to strike gold and silver coins, but the numismatic evidence is not easily compatable with this statement. Carradice study suggests that this coin is unlikely to have been minted in the lifetime of king Croesus, however Sear assigns them to this ruler c.560-546 B.C. Their production must have continued for some time after the fall of Croesus to Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire. In fact these gold 'Croesids' of this light standard have been discovered in the Persepolis foundation deposits, though royal Persian coins are not represented there. The issue sees the introduction of the world's first bimetallic coinage, gold and silver pieces based on a stater of pure metal. This is only the second time this company has offered this coin type. This is an historic and important coin coming from the earliest period of beginnings of coinage in the western world.