Stater

Tarentum's gold coinage was exceptional in the ancient Greek world — the city overwhelmingly favored silver for its famous stater series, and gold issues were struck only under extreme military duress. This emission almost certainly corresponds to the prolonged defensive crisis of the 340s and 330s BC, when Tarentum called in Archidamus III of Sparta to fight back against the encroaching Messapian and Lucanian tribes. Gold was mobilized precisely because the treasury needed to pay mercenary forces that silver alone could not adequately compensate.

Archidamus died in battle at Manduria in 338 BC, the same day as Chaeronea — a coincidence ancient sources found grimly ironic.