GREEK. ACHAEMENID EMPIRE. Time of Xerxes II-Artaxerxes II. Circa 420-375 BC. Gold Daric (8.39g). Sardes mint. Persian king or hero in kneeling-running stance right, holding spear in right hand and bow in left; wearing kidaris and kandys, quiver over shoulder; long drapery curves from left knee to right ankle, obscuring right knee / Irregular rectangular incuse punch. Carradice Type IIIb, Group C; Sunrise 28. Struck on a broad, oblong flan, from dies of refined style. An incredible example for the type. gVF. This gold daric, struck circa 420-375 BC under Xerxes II to Artaxerxes II, belongs to the classic royal series first introduced by Darius I. Issued when the Persian Empire stretched from the Indus to Asia Minor, it served as high-value bullion for major payments and military needs while also broadcasting royal power. The dynamic kneeling-running king with spear and bow presents the Great King as a vigilant, divinely favoured warrior, an image widely recognised across the eastern Mediterranean and even mentioned in Greek literature as a symbol of Persian imperial prestige. For a recent sold example of the type see; Heritage Auction 3109, lot 31031, hammered US$18,000. (P)

Estimate: AUD 7500