A major new scientific study dedicated to the monetary systems of the Achaemenid Empire was published in July. This book provides the first comprehensive overview of the diverse coins that circulated in one of the most vast and administratively complex territories of the ancient world.
The work, titled 'Coinages in the Achaemenid Empire,' is the latest contribution by the late Professor Keith Rutter, a distinguished professor at the University of Edinburgh. He was a globally renowned specialist in ancient numismatics and passed away in October 2024 after a short illness.
The volume, published by Edinburgh University Press, is part of the Edinburgh Studies in Ancient Persia series and comprises 376 richly illustrated pages. The research addresses the challenge posed by the immense scale of the Achaemenid Empire, which long presented difficulties for scholars due to fragmented and disparate data.
Professor Rutter's work demonstrates that the coins minted within the empire offer unique and vital insights into the methods of organization and governance of this kingdom. These numismatic evidences are valuable because of their direct, contemporary nature, as they speak directly to modern researchers, bypassing the filter of later Greek or Roman historiography.
By collecting evidence of coin production and use across the Achaemenid Empire, the book shows that actual minting production was mainly limited to the western satrapies, from Asia Minor to Egypt. It also examines eastern communities and kingdoms where Greek cultural influence was often absent, which is a significant departure from most previous works focused on the spread of coins westward into Hellenic lands.
Professor Rutter conducts an exhaustive analysis of the wide range of coins issued during the Achaemenid reign. He examines not only the well-known royal coinage of the Persian kings but also numerous local and regional issues minted by satrapal administrations, city-states, and vassal kingdoms. In his view, the iconography on these coins raises new questions about artistic connections, details of provincial administration, and the religious beliefs permeating imperial society.
The book logically moves from a general overview of the empire's administrative structure and the nature of its royal coinage to detailed regional surveys of Thrace and Asia Minor, Cypriot kingdoms, the Levant, including Phoenicia and Philistia, and Egypt, concluding with a special chapter on coins produced directly by the royal administration.
Beyond the numismatic focus, the work considers coins as integral parts of broader exchange and resource distribution systems that sustained the Achaemenid state. A thorough analysis is conducted of known coin hoards discovered at Apadana in Persepolis, while the ancient mystery of why these specific issues were chosen is re-examined.
Concurrent with the publication, Ekaterina Rutter, the late Professor Rutter's daughter, shared personal reflections on her father's work. In her remarks, she recalls a significant trip to Iran taken with her father in 2017, when his research was nearing completion. Traveling together in the pleasant autumn climate, they visited Persepolis, Pasargadae, and Naqsh-e Rostam. Ekaterina describes this experience as providing invaluable insight into the physical and cultural landscape of the center of the Achaemenid state, as well as strengthening her father's long-held admiration for Persian history and its people.
The book 'Coinages in the Achaemenid Empire' aims to be a starting point for anyone seeking to understand this complex subject—be it a scholar, a student, or a general reader. Thanks to its comprehensive scope and clarity of presentation, it serves as a fitting final testament to an outstanding academic career that spanned decades and inspired countless students and colleagues.