Croesus Silver 1/3 Stater NGC Extremely Fine

This Lydian full silver stater was issued by King Croesus sometime around 560 B.C and has been preserved nicely over the past 2,600 years. It is known to be the first true silver coinage ever issued and is very desirable as a result, particularly the largest denomination of the series, the full stater. The obverse shows an image of a lion and bull, representing strength and fertility. The reverse employs a double-incuse punch that happened when the coin was struck so long ago. This particular example has a lot of flash and luster--many survivors have been heavily corroded and worn over the years. The silver staters of Croesus were issued in six different sizes ranging from a full stater down to a tiny 1/24th stater.