Hekte

Mytilene and Phocaea operated a formal agreement — likely dating to the late fifth century — under which both cities struck electrum hektes on a shared weight standard, alternating issues across generations of dies. This particular piece falls within the earlier phase of Mytilene's independent output, before that convention was fully systematized. The electrum itself was sourced from Lydian river deposits, its gold-to-silver ratio varying enough between issues that ancient merchants almost certainly tested specific gravity rather than trusting appearance alone.