Hekte

Kyzikos dominated electrum coinage in the archaic Greek world through sheer commercial reach — its hektes circulated as a trusted trade currency across the Black Sea littoral and into the Aegean for well over a century, accepted by merchants who may never have visited the city itself. The natural electrum alloy used here was not standardized; composition varied from issue to issue, which traders tolerated because Kyzikene pieces had earned a reputation for honest weight rather than consistent fineness.

The tuna, endemic to the Propontis and central to Kyzikos's economy, appears on virtually every emission as a type-marker — its presence on this hekte is the primary identifier for attribution to this mint.