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Hekte
| Issuer | Kyzikos |
|---|---|
| Year | 400 BC - 330 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Electrum Stater (600-330BC) |
| 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) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Quadripartite incuse square divided into four recessed compartments of alternating depth, forming a windmill or pinwheel pattern in deep relief. This deeply impressed incuse design is the standard reverse type for Kyzikene electrum hektes of the 5th and 4th centuries BC, produced by a single punch struck into the blank flan. The surface of the compartments shows the characteristic rough texture of the hammered technique. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Kyzikos |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Kyzikos was the dominant source of electrum coinage in the Greek world throughout the fifth and fourth centuries, and its hektai functioned as an international trade currency accepted from the Black Sea to Egypt. The city's natural access to electrum — an alloy occurring in the Pactolus river deposits — gave it a near-monopoly on the denomination for generations. Athenian naval records and temple accounts both reference Kyzikenoi as a standard unit of account, distinct from the city's own silver.
The type series is extraordinarily diverse, with no single reverse type repeated across issues — a deliberate policy that archaeologists believe helped detect counterfeits in circulation.