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1⁄48 Stater
| Issuer | Phokaia |
|---|---|
| Year | 625 BC - 600 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Schematically rendered head of a griffin facing right, depicted in high relief with boldly modeled features including a prominent rounded eye and curved beak, characteristic of the archaic Phokaian style. The design fills the irregular flan, with the naturalistic yet stylized treatment of the creature's facial anatomy typical of early electrum coinage from Ionia. No legend or inscription appears in the field. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Quadripartite incuse square divided into four roughly equal recessed compartments by two intersecting raised ridges, forming a cross-shaped pattern pressed deeply into the flan. The incuse is irregularly shaped, reflecting the hand-struck nature of this archaic issue, with no additional devices, symbols, or inscriptions present in the recessed field. |
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| Additional information |
Among the earliest electrum issues from Phokaia, these fractions predate the city's catastrophic conflict with the Persians that would eventually prompt mass emigration of its population — first to Corsica, then to Massalia. The natural electrum alloy sourced from the Pactolus river region varied considerably in gold-to-silver ratio, meaning pieces of nominally identical denomination could differ in intrinsic value depending on the specific ore batch used.
Bodenstedt's classification remains the foundational reference for Phokaian electrum, and E1 designation places this among his earliest identified types.