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Hekte
| Issuer | Kyzikos |
|---|---|
| Year | |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Von Fritze#191 cf. |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Quadripartite incuse square divided into four recessed compartments of alternating depth, forming the characteristic mill-sail or swastika-like pattern typical of Kyzikene electrum hektes. The incuse is deeply struck and irregular, consistent with the hammered technique employed at the Kyzikos mint during the archaic and classical periods. The surface within the compartments retains original electrum luster. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Kyzikos dominated electrum coinage in the Aegean from roughly the mid-sixth through the fourth century BC, producing hektes in an extraordinary variety of types that served as the primary hard currency for mercenary payments and inter-city trade across the Greek world. The city's control of the Propontis gave it leverage over Black Sea grain traffic, and the consistent fineness of Kyzikene electrum — maintained deliberately across centuries — built a trust in the currency that outlasted most contemporary issues.
Von Fritze's 1912 corpus remains the foundational reference, though the "cf." designation here signals this piece doesn't match his plates precisely, likely a die combination he didn't record.