The Historical Alphabet/Qalam
It is a great pleasure to learn something new about the world in which our ancestors lived and in which we live now. In order to make our readers happy, the Qalam editorial staff, together with Citix @citix.me, a technology company, has prepared a project — important and interesting facts collected in a historical alphabet. You can now see them on Citix city smartboards, and read more on our website.
Daric
The Most Valued Gold Coin of the Ancient World, Minted by the Persians
Made of 97 per cent pure gold, the Persian daric became the most important unit of currency in world trade, retaining this status for a long time. It was named in honor of King Darius, who began minting it in the sixth century BCE. The round coin, which weighed just over eight grams, depicted the king as a kneeling archer and had no images or inscriptions on the reverse, only a rectangular indentation from the minting process. The purity of the gold and the attractiveness of the coin were so esteemed that even in many countries far from Persia, darics were the preferred means of payment for large transactions.
Rare Ancient Greek coin, Gold Persian Daric. Great King kneeling with bow circa 450BC/Getty Images