Catalog
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| Issuer | Kyzikos |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| 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 | Head of a satyr or triton facing right, rendered in high relief in the archaic Greek style, with wild, flowing hair and a beard; the figure wears what appears to be a wreath or diadem. A partial Greek inscription is visible in the upper field, characteristic of Kyzikene electrum coinage. The flan is irregular and slightly scalloped at the edges, consistent with hammered production of the 5th–4th century BC. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Kyzikos dominated electrum coinage in the Aegean from roughly the mid-sixth through the fourth century BC, producing hektes in an extraordinary variety of types that served as the primary hard currency for mercenary payments and inter-city trade across the Greek world. The city's control of the Propontis gave it leverage over Black Sea grain traffic, and the consistent fineness of Kyzikene electrum — maintained deliberately across centuries — built a trust in the currency that outlasted most contemporary issues.
Von Fritze's 1912 corpus remains the foundational reference, though the "cf." designation here signals this piece doesn't match his plates precisely, likely a die combination he didn't record.