Croesus of Lydia gave the world its first true silver and gold coinage, and his name still stands for immense wealth. This small silver fraction came from his mint at Sardis between 561 and 546 BC, part of the reform that separated pure gold from pure silver for the first time. Cyrus the Great ended the Lydian kingdom in 546 BC, so the series had a short life and survivors are genuinely old-world scarce. Fractions this small were easily lost or melted, which makes a well-preserved 1/12 stater a prize for anyone building a foundational ancient type set.

The obverse carries the famous confronting foreparts of a lion and a bull, with the lion's open jaw and mane struck in bold relief. Fine engraving shows in the muzzle, the eye, and the ridged texture of the mane, while the bull's head and shoulder fill the right side of the flan. The reverse bears the bipartite incuse punch used on the Croeseid series, with two clear square depressions and sharp interior edges. Both sides show the strong device definition expected from a carefully centered strike on a tiny planchet.

NGC graded this piece Choice Very Fine with a Strike of 5/5 and a Surface of 3/5, and the holder carries the Star designation for exceptional eye appeal. The silver shows an even gray patina with lighter highlights across the raised devices, and the full 5/5 strike is the detail that sets this little coin apart. A top strike score on a 0.84 gram fraction is uncommon, since most examples lose part of the lion or bull to weak metal flow. For those seeking a sharply struck example of the first silver coinage, this Croeseid delivers.

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561-546 BC Lydia Croesus Silver 1/12 Stater NGC Choice Very Fine Star 5x3