Ancient Archaic Period - 420-375 BC Achaemenid Persian Empire AV Daric NGC AU

Persian Gold Darics The Persian (or Achaemenid) Empire was the largest empire the world had known up to that time – these gold coins (Darics) were created from immense gold supplies available to their rulers from all over the captured lands, and were named for their most illustrious king, Darius the Great. Struck over 2,500 years ago, these interesting relics of antiquity depict the great Persian Hero/King running, with a bow and various weapons at his side. With the conquest of Asia Minor in 546 B.C., vast stores of gold were captured from Lydian sources. It did not take the Persians long to realize the dream of their kings to be as wealthy as the vanquished King Croesus of Lydia. But, there were storm clouds on the horizon eventually, as the Persian Empire fell to the might of the troops of Alexander the Great - he overran the entire Achaemenid Empire, pushing his territory all the way to the Indian subcontinent to create an even larger world empire.