Ionia, EL Hekte (1/6 Stater). Phokaic standard. 650-600BC. Semi-spherical with some porosity. 10mm 2.91g. Lydia. EL Trite (1/3 stater). Lion of Lydia with the sun and reverse incused punch. 12mm. 4.75g The earliest coins were often a matter of debate. Whilst many articles often make references to the Lydian staters, many also attribute the Ionian issues as the birthplace of coinage. These coins are electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver then found along the Paktolos rivers flowing through Sardis which is bordering Ionia and Lydia. Whilst variants exists and dates around the same time, the Ionian coins adopted a coin weightage standard of staters and the fractional denominations, often going down to extremely small denominations for change. Although value was fundamentally based on weight, around the same time the Ionians started introducing an obverse and reverse which became the standard until today. Earlier specimens show base striated obverses which many believed to represent the rivers, and 1 or 2 incused punches. Eventually, the designs started to exhibit improved geometric designs. Within a few decades or around the same time, the Lydians started adopting the Ionian standard. Furthermore, they had evolved into inclusion of a more sophisticated design which was the lion of Lydia with a sun before it (some in jest described it as a pimples lion). The incused reverse was retained and it has remained so until the conquest of the Lydians by the Aechemenid Empire towards the end of Croesus' reign. By then improved mettalurgy saw the human separation of silver and gold thus the adoption of the Darics and silver Sigloi. it will take a few hundred years until the conquest of Persia by the armies of Alexander until the design became lost to history. The earliest coin hoard discovered was at a Temple of Artemis at Ephesus dated to late 7th century BC. This hoard saw a mix of different coins believed to be donated by rich patrons. Within this at least 5 different types of coinage (Electrum) was good ranging from a suspected proto-coin (type "a" as per photo) to the Lydian lion ststers (type "e") (source: Shandrock, W, From the origins of coins to Croesus). Using the Phokaic or Myteline standard, these coins were issued in fractionally smaller units up to 1/96 stater at a pathetic 0.15g.
Acquiring one of these "first known coins" (Western-- there's no need to rehash the usual discussion of proto-money and Chinese/Eastern money which inevitably follows when these Lydian "first" coins are shown) was high priority early on. I picked this one up at a coin show: KINGS OF LYDIA, temp. Ardys - Alyattes c. 630s-564/53 BCE (dates from a CNG listing of a similar coin) Electrum trite, 4.8 gm, 13.4 mm. Sardes mint. Obv: head of roaring lion right, sun with four rays on forehead Rev: two incuse square punches Ref: Weidauer Group XV, 64; BMC 2 (I do not have these books and cannot verify)
Thanks for sharing the knowledge and amazing Coins! I really like this theory that coins started in Ionia and not Lydia as I've always understood(mainly due to the fact that I have no early Lydians like your or @TIF's doozies!). Here are my earliest Ionians (the 1st is one of the smallest on CT): Ionia. Ephesos circa 600-550 BC. 1/48 Stater EL fourrée 3mm., 0,15g. Lion's paw / Incuse punch. nearly very fine Karwiese series I / Type 1 (for prototype). Ionia. Ephesos circa 550-500 BC. Hemiobol AR 5mm., 0,37g. Bee / Quadripartite incuse square. very fine Karwiese Series III; Rosen 572
Fantastic specimen. I can see traces of lustre.. Also this would be the earlier variants with the upward arrows on the mane and the cross shaped sun/star. They are becoming harder to get and demands an ever increasing premium
Lovely specimens.. I only have this one Ionian as Ancient Greek is not really my main area of focus.. But I am starting to slowly get drawn even more..
