Obolos 30

PERSIA, Achaemenid Empire. Time of Xerxes II to Artaxerxes II, Circa 420-375 BC. Daric (Gold, 16.5 mm, 8.36 g, 12 h), Lydo-Milesian standard, Sardes. Persian king moving to right, crowned, wearing robes and in the running-kneeling position, with quiver over his shoulder, holding transverse spear ending in a ball in his right hand and bow in his left. Rev. Oblong irregular incuse. BMC Arabia pl. XXV, 12. Carradice Type IIIb Group C (pl. XIV, 42). Sunrise 28. Bold and clear. Encapsulated in NGC holder no. 4629125-066 "Choice AU Strike 4 Surface 4". Nearly extremely fine.

From a collection in the USA, Nomos 19, 17 November 2019, 200.

The gold darics and silver sigloi of the Persians were almost all produced in Asia Minor as money for the coin using population of the areas bordering the eastern Mediterranean. While some certainly did travel to the Persian heartland, most were used for interactions with the Greeks. In fact, these coins were so common in Greek use that they were given the nickname, toxótai - archers; they also appear in Greek treasury and donative inscriptions of the 5th and 4th centuries BC.