The daric was a gold coin used within the Persian Empire. It weighs around eight grams and bears the image of the Persian king armed with a bow and arrow. The coin was introduced by King Darius I of Persia some time between 522 BC and 486 BC.

The coin is mentioned several times in the Old Testament, as the children of Israel came into contact with it when their Babylonian conquerors where conquered by Persia

Some, such as the Ancient Greeks, believed that this coin's name is derived from the name Darius, but in reality it appears to be derived from a Persian word meaning "gold"; in Middle Persian it is called zarig.