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Hekte
| Issuer | Phokaia |
|---|---|
| Year | 625 BC - 522 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 2.50 g |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Quadripartite incuse square of irregular form, divided into four recessed compartments by raised ridges meeting at the centre, a hallmark of archaic hammered coinage technique. The four sections exhibit varying depth and surface texture resulting from the punch strike, with the field showing characteristic granular electrum texture. The incuse pattern is asymmetric, consistent with hand-struck production of the late 7th to early 6th century BC. No inscription or secondary device is present. The overall impression reflects the standard reverse type employed on early Phokaian electrum fractions. |
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| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (625 BC - 522 BC) |
| Additional information |
Phokaia's electrum hektai are among the earliest coins produced in the Greek world, issued by a city whose merchants ranged as far as Massalia (modern Marseille) and the Iberian coast. The natural electrum alloy sourced from the region's river deposits varies in gold-to-silver ratio across specimens, which creates meaningful differences in intrinsic value between pieces that outwardly appear identical — a problem ancient traders navigated by weight rather than trust in consistent fineness.
Bodenstedt 6 falls within the archaic Phokaian sequence documented by Emil Bodenstedt in his 1981 die study, the foundational reference for this series.