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Siglos - Artaxerxes I / Darius III THE ROYAL COINAGE - 4th type
| Issuer | Achaemenid Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 455 BC - 330 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 5 g |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain incuse punch of irregular quadrilateral form, deeply struck into the flan, characteristic of Achaemenid hammered coinage. The incuse surface is undecorated, though some specimens of this type may bear additional countermarks applied at a later date. No legend or subsidiary design elements are present. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The "4th type" siglos spans an awkward century of Achaemenid history — from the relatively stable reign of Artaxerxes I through the catastrophic collapse under Darius III, who lost the empire to Alexander at Gaugamela in 331 BC. That this single coin type persisted across so many reigns without meaningful modification reflects deliberate conservatism: Persian royal coinage was a statement of dynastic continuity, not responsive monetary policy. The satrapal mints answered to administrators who had no interest in advertising regime change on the currency.
Sigloi of this type circulated heavily in Anatolia and the Levant, where they were weighed rather than counted in many commercial transactions.