Persian Treasury
Ruler

Coinage of King Croesus (Kroisos)

1 catalogued issue of King Croesus (Kroisos) — metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions with references.

In short

Croesus of Lydia (c. 560–546 BCE) issued the world's first bimetallic coinage — separate gold and silver Croeseids replacing unreliable natural electrum — and lost his kingdom to Cyrus the Great, who inherited the system intact. King Croesus (Kroisos) issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 546 BCE – 561 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Gold at Sardis.

Catalogued
1
Eras
1
Metals
1
Denominations
1

Key facts

Key facts about King Croesus (Kroisos) in the Persian Treasury catalogue
Catalogued pieces1
Date range546 BCE – 561 CE
Eras representedPre-Achaemenid & Median
MetalsGold
DenominationsStater
MintsSardis
Reignc. 560–546 BCE
InnovationFirst separate gold and silver coinage
TypeConfronted lion and bull foreparts
Successor systemAchaemenid daric and siglos

The Croeseid reform

Natural electrum varied too much in gold content to be trusted at a fixed value. Croesus solved this by refining the alloy and striking pure gold and pure silver coins to declared standards, with the confronted lion and bull foreparts as the common type.

The reform created the first genuine bimetallic monetary system: a gold stater near 10.7 g, later reduced to about 8.1 g, exchanging at a fixed rate against silver. Herodotus's proverbial 'rich as Croesus' has a technical basis.

Persian inheritance

When Cyrus took Sardis in 546 BCE the mint and the standard passed to Persia, and Croeseid types continued to be struck under Achaemenid administration for decades.

The daric and siglos that followed are direct descendants: same mint, same bimetallic logic, new royal iconography. Persian monetary history begins as Lydian monetary history continued.

Pre-Achaemenid & Median · c. 1000 – 550 BCE

Era overview →

Lydian Gold Stater of Croesus

King Croesus (Kroisos)

c. 561–546 BCE

Croesus, last king of Lydia, replaced the older electrum coinage with the world's first true bimetallic system in pure gold and pure silver — a model the Achaemenid daric/siglos would inherit a generation later.

Frequently asked about King Croesus (Kroisos)

Did Croesus invent coinage?
No — electrum coinage predates him by decades. Croesus's innovation was bimetallism: separating the alloy into pure gold and pure silver coins of declared standard.
What happened to the Lydian mint after 546 BCE?
Persia took it over. Croeseid types continued under Achaemenid rule at Sardis before the daric and siglos replaced them.
What coins did King Croesus (Kroisos) issue?
King Croesus (Kroisos) issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 546 BCE – 561 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Gold at Sardis.
How many King Croesus (Kroisos) pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
1 item, dated 546 BCE – 561 CE, spread across 1 era: Pre-Achaemenid & Median.
Which metals were used for King Croesus (Kroisos) coinage?
Gold. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
Which denominations are associated with King Croesus (Kroisos)?
Stater. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.
Where were King Croesus (Kroisos) coins minted?
Recorded mints include Sardis.

Explore related hubs

Denominations here

Metals here