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1⁄24 Stater
| Issuer | Uncertain Ionian city |
|---|---|
| Year | 625 BC - 600 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | BostonMFA#1782, SNG von Aulock#1778 |
| Obverse description | A mill-sail pattern (swastika-form) rendered in bold relief, occupying the full fabric of this diminutive electrum flan. The four rotating arms of the design are rendered in a schematic, geometric style characteristic of early Ionian coinage, with each arm presenting a stepped or angled profile. The field surrounding the device is plain, and the flan edge is irregular, consistent with the primitive striking technique of the archaic period. No legend or inscription is present. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A corresponding incuse mill-sail or swastika pattern sunk into the reverse, formed as a consequence of the obverse punch during striking. The four quadrants of the incuse design mirror the relief pattern of the obverse, creating a recessed swastika-form within an overall irregular incuse square. The surface displays the characteristic rough, striated texture typical of early archaic Greek electrum coinage. No inscription or secondary device is present. |
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| Additional information |
These fractional electrum pieces — struck by one or more cities along the Ionian coast in the decades around 600 BC — belong to the very earliest phase of Western coinage, when the technology of striking metal blanks with a device was still being worked out city by city. Attribution remains contested; the uncertain issuer designation reflects genuine scholarly disagreement, not missing documentation. The natural electrum alloy, a gold-silver mix occurring in Lydian river deposits, varied in composition from blank to blank, making consistent weight control across a denomination this small nearly impossible to achieve.