The Stater: a Persian numismatic guide
Lydian and Greek staters, the earliest struck money to circulate in the Persian world. 2 catalogued examples spanning Pre-Achaemenid & Median.
In short
A stater is the standard large coin of the archaic and classical Greek world — in the Persian sphere the Lydian gold and silver Croeseids and their electrum predecessors, the money that established coinage itself in western Asia. The Stater is a Persian and Iranian denomination represented by 2 catalogued examples dated 560 BCE – 610 CE. Lydian and Greek staters, the earliest struck money to circulate in the Persian world. Examples here are struck in Electrum, Gold at mints including Sardis.
- Catalogued
- 2
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 2
- Denominations
- 1
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 2 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 560 BCE – 610 CE |
| Eras represented | Pre-Achaemenid & Median |
| Metals | Electrum, Gold |
| Denominations | Stater |
| Mints | Sardis |
| Issuers | King Alyattes, King Croesus (Kroisos) |
| Electrum stater | ≈14.1 g, Lydo-Milesian standard |
| Croeseid gold stater | ≈10.7 g, later ≈8.1 g |
| Principal mint | Sardis |
| Successor | Achaemenid gold daric, ≈8.4 g |
Weight standards
Electrum staters run near 14.1 g on the Lydo-Milesian standard, divided down through thirds, sixths and twelfths to fractions under 0.2 g. Croesus's reformed gold stater is struck at about 10.7 g, later reduced to roughly 8.1 g — a weight the Achaemenid daric adopted almost unchanged.
The lion-and-bull confronted-foreparts type of the Croeseids continued to be struck at Sardis under Persian administration after 546 BCE, which is why the same design is catalogued both as Lydian and as early Achaemenid.
Why the stater matters
The stater is the pivot between weighed bullion and struck money. Once a state guarantees a fixed weight and fineness with its own punch, transaction costs collapse and taxation becomes measurable — the administrative precondition for the Achaemenid tribute system Herodotus describes.
For collectors, staters are the prestige end of ancient Persian-sphere numismatics: few pieces, heavy scholarship, and a market where provenance history often matters as much as grade.
Pre-Achaemenid & Median · c. 1000 – 550 BCE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Stater
- What is a stater worth today?
- Prices depend entirely on metal, type and provenance: electrum fractions start in the low four figures, while a well-provenanced Croeseid gold stater is a five-figure coin.
- Is a daric a stater?
- Ancient Greek writers called it the dareikos statēr, and its weight follows the reduced Croeseid gold stater — so functionally yes, the daric is the Persian gold stater.
- What is a Stater?
- The Stater is a Persian and Iranian denomination represented by 2 catalogued examples dated 560 BCE – 610 CE. Lydian and Greek staters, the earliest struck money to circulate in the Persian world. Examples here are struck in Electrum, Gold at mints including Sardis.
- How many Stater pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 2 items, dated 560 BCE – 610 CE, spread across 1 era: Pre-Achaemenid & Median.
- Which metals were used for Stater coinage?
- Electrum, Gold. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Where were Stater coins minted?
- Recorded mints include Sardis.