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Hekte
| Issuer | Samos |
|---|---|
| Year | 530 BC - 526 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | HGC 6#1176, BMC Greek#10, GCV#3518 |
| Obverse description | Facing scalp of a lion rendered en face, boldly executed in archaic Greek style. The mane is depicted with deeply engraved radiating striations framing the broad, flat facial features. The eyes are wide-set and prominent, the muzzle foreshortened, and the overall design occupies the full flan in a characteristic early Samian treatment. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Samos in the late 6th century BC was among the wealthiest poleis in the Aegean, its commercial reach extending across the eastern Mediterranean under the tyrant Polycrates, who came to power around 535 BC. The island's silver coinage of this period was instrumental in financing his ambitious naval program — Herodotus credits Polycrates with assembling a fleet of one hundred penteconters. The hekte, a sixth of a stater, was the workhorse denomination for smaller transactions in that economy.