Achaemenid Empire Gold Daric 5th Century BC XF NGC

Gold coins were introduced to Persia by Cyrus the Great after his conquest of Lydia, where the first coins were made. Darius I introduced this type in 521 B.C., with a king or warrior wielding a bow and spear on the obverse. They are typically 8.4 grams. Many were melted and restruck into other coins following the conquest by Alexander the Great in 330 B.C.