Stater stater (Ancient Greek στατήρ, literally 'weight') was an ancient coin of Greek or Lydian origin which circulated from the eighth century BC to 50 AD. It was also heavily used by Celtic tribes. According to Robin Lane Fox, it was borrowed by the Euboeans from the Phoenician shekel, which was of about the same weight and was also a fiftieth part of a mina.Original mintings of this coin such as practiced in Athens valued the stater at a tetradrachm (4 drachms), though issues at other places or times applied the word "stater" to a