Hekte

Among the earliest struck coins in human history, Ionian hektes of this period predate any standardized issuing authority — attribution remains contested between Miletus, Ephesus, and a handful of other Lydian-coastal workshops. The electrum itself was not an artificial alloy; it was harvested directly from the Pactolus River, whose natural gold-silver composition varied enough that no two hektes carry identical fineness.