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Siglos - Darius II / Artaxerxes II THE ROYAL COINAGE - 4th type B - middle
| Issuer | Achaemenid Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 423 BC - 358 BC |
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| Currency | Daric (521 BC-330 BC) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Irregular incuse punch of oblong shape with a roughly cruciform or arrowhead interior division, characteristic of the hammered technique used in Achaemenid silver coinage. The incuse is deeply struck and asymmetric, with raised striations and surface texture visible within the depression, typical of the reverse dies employed during the later phases of the Royal Coinage. No legend, symbol, or secondary device is present. The surface surrounding the incuse shows the natural flow marks and irregularities inherent to hand-struck silver flans of the period. |
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| Mintage | ND (423 BC - 358 BC) - - ND (420 BC - 375 BC) - - |
| Additional information |
The royal siglos changed little across successive reigns by deliberate policy — the Achaemenid court treated coinage as a statement of continuity, not individual kingship, which is why attributing specific pieces to Darius II versus Artaxerxes II remains an exercise in die typology rather than regnal epigraphy. This "4th type B middle" designation follows Carradice's classification system, the most widely accepted framework for sequencing the royal coinage, though the boundaries between sub-types are contested.
Sigloi circulated primarily in western Anatolia and served Persian military payroll functions — Xenophon records Cyrus the Younger paying Greek mercenaries in Persian silver before Cunaxa in 401 BC.