Decorated Electrum. A Coin of Lydia.

LYDIAN KINGDOM. Alyattes or Walwet. Countermarks. Sardes, uninscribed issues. Obv: Head of lion right, mouth open, mane bristling, radiate sun above eye. Rev: Two square punches of different size, side by side, with irregular interior surfaces.

Whilst this coin is known as a trite, or third-stater, it is estimated that there are only around 100 surviving examples of full staters, which would indicate they were fairly uncommon in antiquity (or were significantly recycled). In practice therefore this was the largest denomination of the earliest coin that would have been in common circulation. This example is minted on the Lydia-Milesian standard (14.2g stater of three 4.70g trite) and weighs 4.67g. It has seven countermarks on it. For later coinage the theory is that these countermarks were 'bankers marks' added to confirm the purity and weight of the coin. However multiple countermarks are common on the Lydian trite and it is unlikely that the coin would have to be re-weighed so often for confirmation purposes, especially as the circulation was nearly entirely within the region. There are also a great variety of marks, which has lead to the suggestion that the are more 'owner's marks' than bankers marks (basically labelling your property).

The coin is made from electrum, which is a naturally occurring allow which the Lydians would have found as fluvial deposits in the river Pactolus. The electrum coins of this type consist of about 54 percent gold, 46 percent silver and 2 percent copper, which is a higher silver content than naturally occurring electrum and so the balance must have been altered during the manufacturing process.