| Cyrus the Great conquered the Lydian kingdom of Kroisos in
546 bc. The Persian Empire struck coins with Lydian types until 510, when the
"archer" type characterizing Achaemenid coinage was introduced. The gold
daric (8.3 g) and the silver siglos (5.3 g) continued the Lydian weight standard,
circulating mostly in Asia Minor. |
Over nearly two centuries their archaic types hardly changed
and, as they bear no legends, attribution by reign can sometimes be difficult. After
Alexander conquered the Persian Empire in 330 bc, Persians used Greek coins - first
Alexander's imperial coinage, then the royal Seleukid coinage that succeeded it. |
