The Daric: a Persian numismatic guide
The Achaemenid gold daric — roughly 8.4 g of near-pure gold bearing the kneeling royal archer. 2 catalogued examples spanning Achaemenid Empire.
In short
A daric is the gold coin of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, struck from about 515 BCE to 330 BCE at roughly 8.4 g of near-pure gold and showing the Great King as a kneeling archer. The Daric is a Persian and Iranian denomination represented by 2 catalogued examples dated 330 BCE – 485 CE. The Achaemenid gold daric — roughly 8.4 g of near-pure gold bearing the kneeling royal archer. Examples here are struck in Gold at mints including Sardis (primary).
- Catalogued
- 2
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 1
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 2 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 330 BCE – 485 CE |
| Eras represented | Achaemenid Empire |
| Metals | Gold |
| Denominations | Daric |
| Mints | Sardis (primary) |
| Issuers | Darius I to Darius III, Darius III / Alexander era |
Meaning and etymology
The Greek name dareikos statēr was understood in antiquity as a coin "of Darius", after Darius I who introduced it. Modern philology more often derives it from Old Persian *dari- ("golden"), which would make the word a description of the metal rather than a royal name; both readings were current already in the ancient sources.
In Persian usage the piece is normally called دریک (dārik). The companion silver coin was the siglos, from Old Persian/Babylonian shekel, and the two circulated as a single bimetallic system.
Weight, fineness and value
The daric was struck to about 8.35–8.40 g at a fineness usually measured between 95% and 98% gold, making it one of the purest coinages of the ancient world. That purity is why Herodotus singles out Persian gold as the standard against which other money was judged.
Twenty silver sigloi (each about 5.4–5.6 g) exchanged for one daric, giving an effective gold-to-silver ratio near 1:13. A daric was roughly a month's pay for a Greek mercenary in the late fifth century BCE, which is why Persian subsidies could shift the balance of the Peloponnesian War.
Types and dating
Ian Carradice's five-type sequence (I–V) remains the standard classification. Type I shows a half-figure archer; Types II and III introduce the kneeling-running archer with bow and spear; Type IV, the most common survivor, adds a dagger; Type V is a late, stylistically flattened issue.
The reverse is never a design: it is an irregular oblong incuse left by the punch. Sardis in Lydia was the principal mint throughout; the incuse punch, the archer's beard, and the treatment of the quiver are the practical dating criteria.
Collecting and authentication
Genuine darics are heavy for their size and show a soft, buttery gold surface with no casting bubbles. The most frequent modern fakes are cast copies with a smooth, tooled incuse and a weight below 8.2 g. For any purchase at market prices, insist on third-party attribution (NGC Ancients or an established ancient-coin specialist) and a stated Carradice type.
Achaemenid Empire · 550 – 330 BCE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Daric
- What does daric mean?
- Daric is the name of the Achaemenid Persian gold coin. Ancient writers read it as "coin of Darius" after Darius I, who introduced it around 515 BCE; most modern scholars derive it instead from Old Persian *dari-, meaning golden.
- How much gold is in a daric?
- About 8.4 g of gold at 95–98% fineness, roughly a quarter of a troy ounce of nearly pure gold.
- What was a daric worth?
- One daric exchanged for twenty silver sigloi, and was approximately a month's wage for a hired soldier in the late fifth century BCE.
- What is a Daric?
- The Daric is a Persian and Iranian denomination represented by 2 catalogued examples dated 330 BCE – 485 CE. The Achaemenid gold daric — roughly 8.4 g of near-pure gold bearing the kneeling royal archer. Examples here are struck in Gold at mints including Sardis (primary).
- How many Daric pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 2 items, dated 330 BCE – 485 CE, spread across 1 era: Achaemenid Empire.
- Which metals were used for Daric coinage?
- Gold. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Where were Daric coins minted?
- Recorded mints include Sardis (primary).