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Siglos - Darius I THE ROYAL COINAGE - 1st type
| Issuer | Achaemenid Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 521 BC - 505 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | An incuse punch of irregular rectangular form, deeply impressed into the flan, divided by a rough central ridge into two unequal compartments, characteristic of the primitive punch technique employed at the Sardis mint in the earliest phase of Achaemenid silver coinage. The incuse shows no figural or epigraphic content, the surface being entirely plain and striated from the punch tool. This simple incuse reverse is diagnostic of the 1st type siglos coinage attributed to the reign of Darius I, distinguishing it from later types featuring more elaborate reverse treatments. |
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| Mintage | ND (521 BC - 510 BC) - Sardis mint - ND (521 BC - 505 BC) - 1/24 Siglos (0.20 g) - ND (521 BC - 505 BC) - Sardis mint - ND (520 BC - 505 BC) - Sardis mint - |
| Additional information |
The sigloi of Darius I represent the first true silver coinage struck under Achaemenid authority, issued following Darius's consolidation of power after the turbulent succession crisis that followed Cambyses II's death in 522 BC. The first type is distinguished from later issues by the king's running posture with spear and bow — a detail significant to specialists, though the broader historical weight lies in the coinage's function: sigloi circulated primarily in the western satrapies, where Greek mercantile networks demanded silver by weight rather than Persian norms.
Notably, the siglos never achieved wide acceptance in the Persian heartland, where gold darics dominated prestige transactions. These silver pieces were workhorses of the Aegean trade economy.