The First Official Coin
The Lydians were a commercially oriented society, credited with introducing the use of gold and silver coins and establishing permanent retail shops, as noted by Herodotus. Their kingdom reached its peak under the reign of Alyattes, the fourth king of the house of Gyges. Alyattes, the son of Sadyattes and father of Croesus, continued his father's conflict with Miletus but was eventually forced to focus on the Medes and Babylonians. Notably, the Battle of Halys in 585 BC, fought against Kyaxares, king of Media, resulted in a solar eclipse, prompting a peace agreement and the establishment of the Halys River as a boundary. Alyattes also expelled the Cimmerians from Phrygia, securing critical trade routes and consolidating control over important Ionian cities, including Smyrna and Kolophon.
The earliest electrum coinage of Lydia, a subject of scholarly debate, is often attributed to the reigns of Gyges, Sadyattes, and Alyattes. Research suggests that certain coin series from Alyattes' reign, around 600 BC, were linked by die connections and offered insight into the early Lydian coinage system.
The lion's head, which appeared on early Lydian coins, was a symbol of royal power and the sun, emphasizing strength, courage, and wisdom. The lion was associated with solar deities and guardianship of the eastern and western horizons in various ancient cultures, symbolizing the sun’s rise and set. The disk on the lion’s forehead on these coins represented the solar disk, a feature later replaced by a radiate sun motif. The inscription WALWET, appearing on some coins, has been interpreted in various ways, including as the name of King Alyattes or a reference to a river or minting term. These coins were among the earliest to feature inscriptions alongside their imagery, marking a significant step in the development of coinage and royal symbolism.
Kings of Lydia. Alyattes, circa 620/610-560; Third of siglos or Trite, Sardes before 561, EL 4.69 g. Head of lion l. with open jaws; in l. field, falfel in archaic characters. Rev. Bipartite rectangular incuse punch. Artemision, White Gold, 77. SNG von Aulock –. SNG Kayhan –. Mitchner, Ancient Trade and Early Coinage, group B, 3. Weidauer 93.
Ex Gorny & Mosch sale 195, 2011, 261.