Lydia Croesus Silver Hemistater Coin - 550 Bce! - Apr 27, 2017 | Artemis Gallery In Co
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Lydia Croesus Silver Hemistater Coin - 550 BCE!

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Lydia Croesus Silver Hemistater Coin - 550 BCE!
Lydia Croesus Silver Hemistater Coin - 550 BCE!
Item Details
Description
Greece, Lydia, Croesus, ca. 560 to 546 BCE. AR hemistater (5.2 g). Obverse: Forepart of lion on left facing right; bull on left facing right. Reverse: Oblong incuse divided into 2 squares. This is one of the earliest minted coins from the ancient world. Cp. Berk 23. Size: 1.25" W (3.2 cm)

Croesus, King of Lydia, was famous in his lifetime and by the 5th century BCE had become legendary. He was fabulously wealthy and his defeat by the Persian king Cyrus the Great in 546 BCE became a major moment on the Greek calendar. His story is recorded by Herodotus, Xenophon, and Ctesias. In Herodotus's legendary account, Croesus asked the great sage Solon who was the happiest man in the world, fully expecting it to be himself, as he was so wealthy and powerful. Solon replied that Croesus was not the happiest man, and emphasized that the fickleness of fortune meant that happiness could not truly be judged until after death. Shortly after the encounter with Solon, Croesus's son died in an accident and his wife committed suicide, reinforcing Solon's message and punishing Croesus for his hubris. Historically, Croesus is known for having minted some of the first pure gold and pure silver coins.

Provenance: private Matrisciano collection, California, USA

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Lydia Croesus Silver Hemistater Coin - 550 BCE!

Estimate $700 - $900
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Starting Price $350
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Artemis Gallery

Artemis Gallery

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