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Hekte
| Issuer | Phokaia |
|---|---|
| Year | 625 BC - 522 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Hekte (10⁄3) |
| 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 |
| 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 |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Quadripartite incuse square occupying the full reverse field, divided into four roughly equal triangular sections by two diagonal grooves intersecting at the center. The incuse depression is deeply struck and irregular in outline, consistent with early Archaic hammered coinage technique. The surface texture within each quadrant is rough and uneven, reflecting the primitive punch die employed. No legend, symbol, or additional device is present; the design is purely functional, serving to anchor the blank and distribute metal during striking. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Phokaia |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Phokaia was among the earliest Greek cities to produce electrum coinage, and these hektes — struck from the naturally occurring gold-silver alloy sourced from the region's river deposits — predate Athens' silver owl series by well over a century. The city's remarkable commercial reach, extending to colonies as far as Massalia (modern Marseille) and Emporion in Iberia, required a trusted, portable high-value currency. These pieces circulated across the Aegean, the Black Sea littoral, and deep into the western Mediterranean.
Production ceased abruptly following the Persian conquest of Ionia under Harpagos around 546 BC, though some scholars extend the series to 522 BC based on hoard evidence. The Bodenstedt typology remains the standard reference for distinguishing emissions.