Hemidrachm

Gortyna was among Crete's most powerful poleis during this period, its coinage reflecting a civic identity distinct from the island's other minting centers at Knossos and Phaistos. The hemidrachm denomination served interisland commerce at a moment when Cretan cities were deeply enmeshed in mercenary networks — Cretan slingers and archers commanded premium rates across the Hellenistic world, and small silver fractions were the practical currency of soldier pay and port-town trade.

Svoronos 68 places this type within a well-documented sequence, though die studies on Gortynian silver remain incomplete relative to mainland issues.