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Stater
| Issuer | Kings of Lydia |
|---|---|
| Year | 650 BC - 561 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 14.116 g |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Forepart of a lion advancing to the right, rendered in bold relief on an irregularly shaped electrum flan, with a distinctive rounded protuberance or boss prominently displayed on the forehead — an attribute widely regarded as a royal or divine symbol in Lydian iconography. The mane is rendered with deeply incised striations radiating across the neck and shoulders, conveying a sense of power and movement characteristic of early Anatolian coinage. The eye is rendered as a large, stylized circular form, and the open jaws reveal a schematic tongue. No legend or inscription appears in the field, consistent with the earliest phase of coined money prior to the introduction of royal titulature. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
These are among the earliest coins ever struck anywhere — the Lydian electrum stater predates the deliberate separation of gold and silver coinage, relying instead on the naturally occurring alloy found in the sands of the Pactolus River. The precise electrum ratio varied considerably between issues, which is why modern specific gravity testing often reveals wide compositional spreads even within specimens sharing the same type.
Croesus, the last Lydian king, eventually abandoned electrum in favor of pure gold and silver bimetallic coinage — a reform that effectively rendered these staters obsolete before the Persian conquest of 547 BC.