Prior to the invention of coinage (see: Original Coinage), commerce involved the exchange of materials like metal scraps or ingots. Over time, several cultures of the ancient Near East began to utilize standardized metal weights.

The Assyrians made their weights in the form of reclining lions to symbolize strength and power. The Persians later imitated the Assyrian lion weights. This reduced model is from an original made on the occasion of the festival of Persepolis, to be offered as a gift to notable persons. (The original weighs 121 kg.)