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Hekte
| Issuer | Samos |
|---|---|
| Year | 600 BC - 570 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 |
| 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) | HGC 6#1168, ACGC#67, GCV#3447 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Incuse square punch of irregular form, deeply impressed into the flan and presenting a rough, mill-textured surface divided into multiple recessed compartments by raised ridges meeting near the centre, creating a characteristic mill-sail or quadripartite pattern. This type of incuse reverse is typical of early Archaic Greek coinage from the eastern Aegean region, serving as the countermark of the anvil punch used in the hammered striking process. The field is entirely unadorned with no inscription, device, or secondary type. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Samos |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Samos was among the earliest Greek poleis to adopt coinage, and this hekte belongs to the experimental decades when the very concept of struck money was still being worked out across Ionia. The island's position as a major Aegean trading hub — with commercial ties stretching from Egypt to the Black Sea — drove practical demand for a reliable fractional unit long before civic identity became a minting priority.
Electrum composition at this period reflects natural alloy sourced ultimately from Lydian river deposits, with gold-to-silver ratios varying enough between issues that ancient merchants likely tested pieces individually rather than trusting face value.