only the former existed. As 50 of the latter shekels made 1-1/3 minae, there was no practical difficulty in making any calculations; on the other hand, if there had been two separate minae, and two separate talents, it would have led to great complications. The fact that we hear nothing about any such second gold system existing in Asia, and that when Darius fixed the tribute from each region he did not make it the basis of his payment, which he would probably have done as he would thus have made a considerable gain, by causing the payments in gold as well as those in silver to be made on the Babylonian standard, seems to put beyond all doubt that the 168 grain gold piece was not a real unit, but was simply regarded as 1-1/3 shekels, and was nothing more than a temporary effort to simplify the trimetallic monetary system of Lydia.
What system the Lydians employed for commercial purposes we have no means of knowing, but we may conjecture plausibly that the light royal mina of 60 shekels was the standard employed.
The Persian Standard.
We may adopt the generally received belief that the Persians, like the Medes and Babylonians, did not coin money (although they were probably acquainted with the Lydian stater) until after the conquest of Asia Minor and Egypt by Cyrus and Cambyses, and the reorganization of the empire by Darius the son of Hystaspes (522-485 B.C.). For although the learned savants MM. Oppert and Révillout[1] hold that Daric ([Greek: Dareikos]) is unconnected with the name Darius ([Greek: Dareios]), an opinion supported by Dr Hoffmann[2], and rather regard it as derived from the Assyrian darag mana, "degree (i.e. 1/60) of a mina," and although Mr G. Bertin has read the word dariku on a Babylonian contract, dated in the twelfth year of Nabonidas, five years before the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus[3], it does not at all follow that either darag or dariku refers to a
