Stater

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.