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1/4 Stater
| Issuer | Samos |
|---|---|
| Year | 600 BC - 550 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain incuse square punch of roughly quadrilateral form, deeply impressed into the flat reverse field, surrounded by a raised rounded border rim typical of early hammered electrum coinage. The incuse cavity shows irregular surface texture resulting from the striking process, with no additional design elements or inscriptions. This simple incuse reverse is characteristic of the earliest phase of Greek coinage production in Ionia and the Aegean islands during the late 7th to early 6th century BC. |
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| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (600 BC - 550 BC) |
| Additional information |
Samos was among the earliest Greek states to adopt coinage, and its electrum fractions belong to the experimental first generation of struck money in the Aegean world. The island's position as a major commercial hub in the eastern Aegean — with deep trading ties to Lydia, where coinage itself had recently emerged — almost certainly accelerated its adoption of the technology. The natural electrum alloy used here reflects early minting practice before refinement techniques allowed consistent gold-silver separation.