Sale: Nomos 6, Lot: 96. Estimate CHF3000.  Closing Date: Monday, 7 May 2012.  Sold For CHF2600. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

PERSIA, Achaemenid Empire. Sardes. Time of Darios I to Xerxes II. Circa 485-420 BC. Daric (Gold, 8.35 g). Great King of Persia running to right, wearing kidaris, holding bow in his left hand and spear with his right. Rev. Rectangular incuse. BMC Arabia pl. XXIV, 26. Carradice Type IIIb A/B (pl. XIII, 27). A nice, well-struck example. Extremely fine.

From an American collection, acquired from B. Kritt in 1999.

The Daric was the first ancient gold coin that went into widespread use, and was first minted in Sardes. These coins were primarily used in the West and only began to circulate in Persia itself rather later. The crudity of the design was deliberately chosen to emphasize the purity of the metal.