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Hekte
| Issuer | Phokaia |
|---|---|
| Year | 521 BC - 478 BC |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| 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) | Bodenstedt#37, BMC Greek#28, GCV#3498 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Quadripartite incuse square formed by two intersecting diagonal grooves dividing the deeply recessed punch into four unequal rectangular compartments, a characteristic reverse type of early Archaic Asia Minor electrum coinage produced by a four-pronged punch. The surface within each compartment shows a rough, granular texture. The incuse is sharply struck and occupies the majority of the reverse field. |
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| Mint | Phokaia (Ionia) |
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| Additional information |
Phokaia was among the most commercially aggressive of the Ionian Greek cities, and its electrum hektai circulated far beyond the Aegean — Phokaian coins have been recovered in hoards from the Black Sea coast to the western Mediterranean, carried by the same merchant networks that made the city a founding force behind Massalia (modern Marseille). The city's coinage continued even after the Persian conquest of Ionia around 546 BC, a remarkable concession that reflects Phokaia's ongoing commercial usefulness to Achaemenid-controlled trade routes.
The terminal date of this type aligns with the aftermath of the Ionian Revolt, when Persian administrative pressure substantially disrupted local minting across the region.