About the Persian Daric, Darius the Great's 95.8% pure gold coin stamped with a running royal archer that bribed Greek generals and dominated Silk Road trade.
When King Darius I (Darius the Great) expanded the Achaemenid Persian Empire around 515 BCE, he introduced a heavy 8.4-gram gold coin struck in 95.8% pure gold: the Daric (Dareikos).
Unlike Greek coins which featured gods or sacred animals, the Persian Daric featured a warrior king kneeling or running, holding a bow in his left hand and a spear in his right. This distinct imagery earned the coin its famous nickname across the Greek world: The Archer.
"Conquered by 10,000 Golden Archers"
The Daric was so valuable that Persian Great Kings used it as a geopolitical weapon. Rather than sending armies to fight Greek city-states directly, Persian diplomats bribed rival Greek politicians and military commanders with chests of gold Darics.
Spartan King Agesilaus II famously complained when forced to retreat from Asia Minor, saying he had been "driven out of Asia by ten thousand archers"—referring not to Persian soldiers, but to Persian gold coins bribing Athens and Thebes to wage war against Sparta back home!
The Royal Monopoly on Gold
In the Achaemenid Empire, local satraps (governors) were permitted to mint silver coins (Sigloi), but the minting of gold Darics was an exclusive imperial prerogative of the Great King. Melting down or imitating Darics without imperial sanction was punishable by crucifixion.
Test Your Knowledge
Did you pay attention to the details in this article?