SAEDNEWS: Given Iran’s rich history and thousands of years of civilization, it is fascinating to know that the Daric was the first official Persian coin, minted and introduced into circulation during the Achaemenid Empire under the orders of Darius the Great.
According to Saednews, During the emergence of metalworking, human civilization continued to develop. People began making objects from various metals, such as copper, bronze, gold, and silver, in different shapes, including rings, cylinders, squares, and coins. These objects were used as a means of exchange in trade.
According to accounts by ancient Greek historians, the Daric became the official currency of Iran in 514 BC. King Darius I ordered the minting of these coins, which were reportedly produced within a few days.
The introduction of the first distinctly Iranian coin is considered one of the major achievements of Darius I, dating to approximately 515 BC. He chose to depict a warrior holding a bow or kneeling while drawing it on the coin.
Darius's successors retained the basic design but modified the warrior's weapon, replacing the bow with a spear or dagger. The reverse side featured an irregular, punched rectangular mark without any inscription.
For approximately two hundred years, Achaemenid kings maintained this basic design for both the gold Daric and the silver Siglos, which was worth one-twentieth of a Daric.
The Daric coin was made of pure gold. During the Achaemenid period, local rulers and governors were not permitted to mint coins in their own names without Darius's authorization. With his permission, they could mint silver coins, while the minting of gold coins remained an exclusive privilege of the central government.
