Issued in circulation on November 1, 2004.
Croesus (595 BC – c. 547? BC) was the king of Lydia from 560 to 546 BC until his defeat by the Persians in about 547 BC. The fall of Croesus made a profound impact on the Hellenes, providing a fixed point in their calendar. "By the fifth century at least," J.A.S. Evans remarked, "Croesus had become a figure of myth, who stood outside the conventional restraints of chronology." Croesus was renowned for his wealth — Herodotus and Pausanias noted his gifts preserved at Delphi.