"COIN OF THE MONTH" - BIBLICAL GOLD DARIC, PERSIAN EMPIRE, ACHAEMENID DYNASTY, XERXES I - DARIOS II
Carradice Type IIIb Group A/B, Extremely Fine, 8.33 grams, Struck Circa. 485 - 420 B.C.E.
Obverse: Persian King running to right with Spear and Bow
Reverse: Incuse punch
LUSTROUS and BEAUTIFUL! Most of these earlier types are struck on small planchets with either the king's crown or the bow off the flan, often both. This outstanding example has ALL clearly present, crown, bow, spear, and quiver over right shoulder.
We couldn't keep this beauty imprisoned. It was removed from an NGC slab (see here for verification), graded XF, 5/5 Strike, 3/5 Surfaces (due to tiny deposit in the reverse).
The Persian daric is the Biblical coin known as the Darkamon in the biblical books of Ezra (2:69) and Nehemiah (7:69, 70, 71) and also circulated in the time of the Biblical book of Esther.
