Catalog
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
| Issuer | Phokaia |
|---|---|
| Year | 600 BC - 550 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Drachm |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Forepart of a seal (phoke) facing left in high relief, rendered in the archaic Greek style with schematic but vigorous modeling of the head and forelimbs. The device is set within a roughly rectangular recessed field formed by the die, surrounded by the characteristically granular, striated surface of the hammered flan. The seal motif serves as the civic badge of Phokaia, a deliberate visual pun on the city's name. No legend or inscription is present, consistent with the earliest coinage of the Ionian mint. The overall fabric is irregular and lenticular, typical of archaic electrum coinage of western Asia Minor. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Incuse reverse displaying a quadripartite or cruciform punch mark characteristic of early archaic electrum coinage, produced by the square or mill-sail punch used to drive the metal into the obverse die. The incuse field is divided into irregular raised and sunken sections by intersecting ridges, creating a rough geometric pattern across the surface. The flan edges are irregular and show the characteristic lenticular profile of a hammered electrum piece. No legend, symbol, or secondary device is present. This simple incuse technique is consistent with the earliest phase of Greek coinage production at Phokaia, circa 600–550 BC. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information | Log in to see details |