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Hekte
| Issuer | Kyzikos |
|---|---|
| Year | 600 BC - 550 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Two tunny fish (Atlantic bluefin tuna), the emblematic device of Kyzikos, depicted in high relief against a striated field. The principal tunny is shown in left-facing profile in the upper portion of the die, its characteristic fusiform body and forked tail rendered with bold, archaic incised lines. A second, smaller tunny appears beneath it, also oriented to the left, serving as a subsidiary device. The composition is characteristic of the early archaic Kyzikene electrum series, executed with vigorous hammered technique on an irregular flan. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (600 BC - 550 BC) |
| Additional information |
Kyzikos dominated electrum coinage in the Greek world for roughly two centuries, and the hekte was its workhorse denomination — widely accepted across the Aegean and Black Sea trade networks as a de facto international currency. The city's position on the Propontis gave it access to both Lydian gold sources and Pontic trade routes, which likely explains why Kyzikene electrum maintained a reputation for consistent alloy quality when other issuers cut corners.
The natural electrum used here predates the era of artificially adjusted gold-silver ratios that later mints would adopt to control bullion costs.