The aric was a gold coin used within the Persian Empire. It is of very high gold quality with purity of %95.83. It weighs around 8.4 grams and bears the image of the Persian king or a great warrior armed with a bow and arrow, but who is depicted is not known for sure. The coin was introduced by King Darius I of Persia some time between 522 BC and 486 BC and ended with Alexander the Great's invasion in 330 BC. Upon the invasion of Persia by Alexander they were melted down and recoinded as coins of Alexander. This is believed to be the main reason for their rarity in spite of their widepsread usage at the time.