Owner Comments:
The ancient Kingdom of Lydia was bounded by coastal Ionia to the west, Mysia to the north, and Caria to the south. According to Herodotus: “Lydia does not have many marvelous things to write about in comparison with other countries, except for the gold dust that is carried down from Mount Tmolus.” This inland region of Asia Minor was abounding in precious metals, gold and silver in particular. Some time around mid-7th century BC these metals were first fashioned into coins in Lydia (as also attested by Herodotus) and also neighboring Ionia.
These first coins were made of electrum, an alloy comprised mostly of gold and silver. The gold content of electrum occurring naturally in river silt had a varying gold content of 65% to 85%. Some coins were probably struck directly from this alluvial electrum, but their gold content was inconsistent. To solve this problem, the electrum (and/or perhaps pure gold) was alloyed with silver to reach a consistent gold content. Additional copper was also added, in order to achieve a more golden color.
This ingenious solution was the innovation of the Kings of Lydia, who probably set up their mints in the capital city of Sardis. Coin sizes and shapes were irregular, but weights and gold contents were highly consistent. Varying designs were employed; in Lydia the most common motif was the head of a roaring lion, as found on this coin, a one-third stater (or trite). The design is simple, yet arresting and artistic. The hatch-marked lion’s mane bisects the coin diagonally, and opposite to upper right, three dynamic elements are grouped: roaring mouth, triangular eye, and a mysterious star pattern (sometime referred to as a “nose wart”). The latter is perhaps a representation of a rising sun. The two-part incuse punch on the reverse was left over from its strike, and its exact significance remains unknown.
The lion was the symbol of the royal line of Mermnadae. At the time this coin was minted, the ruler was probably Alyattes son of Sadyattes, or his son, Croesus. Alyattes and his Kingdom became very rich by accumulating and minting coins. Moreover, the Lydians were the world’s first commercial retailers (again according to Herodotus), linking the eastern Asian kingdoms to coastal Ionia and other Hellenistic cities to the west. Alyattes used his wealth and military prowess consolidating the Lydian Kingdom. He conquered the Cimmerians (who fled to the Bosphorus), and also vanquished several Ionian cities. By Croesus’ ascension, he was so prosperous his very name became synonymous with wealth, and to this day our modern lexicon includes expressions such as “rich as Croesus.”
Additional Reading: PT Keyser and DD Clark, “Analyzing and Interpreting the Metallurgy of Early Electrum Coins,” American Numismatic Soiety, New York, 2001, pp. 105-126.
Coin Details: KINGDOM OF LYDIA, King Alyattes II (or possibly Croesus), ca. 610-546 BC, Electrum EL Trite - 1/3 stater (4.76 g, 13 mm), NGC Grade: AU, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 5/5, Obverse: Head of roaring lion, “wart” or sun on nose, Reverse: Two-part incuse, References: Weiduaer Group XVI, 89; Traite I 44; SNG Kayhan 1013; Rosen 655-6.