1⁄48 Stater

Among the earliest coined money anywhere in the world, these fractional electrum issues from the Ionian coast predate any standardized mint authority — which is precisely why attribution remains contested. The naturalistic alloy composition varies piece to piece, drawn from river electrum rather than refined stock, meaning no two examples are chemically identical.

At 0.27 g, this denomination would have represented genuine small-change purchasing power in a market economy still learning what coinage was for.