Phokaia was one of the most commercially aggressive of the Ionian Greek cities, and its electrum hektes circulated far beyond the Aegean — Phokaian traders carried them across the western Mediterranean as the city established colonies as distant as Massalia (modern Marseille) and Emporion in Iberia. The natural electrum used for these issues came from sources that produced an alloy with a notably high gold content, distinguishing Phokaian output from the paler Lydian electrum.
Production of this coinage effectively ended with the King's Peace of 387 BC, which returned the Ionian cities to Persian control.
Phokaia was one of the most commercially aggressive of the Ionian Greek cities, and its electrum hektes circulated far beyond the Aegean — Phokaian traders carried them across the western Mediterranean as the city established colonies as distant as Massalia (modern Marseille) and Emporion in Iberia. The natural electrum used for these issues came from sources that produced an alloy with a notably high gold content, distinguishing Phokaian output from the paler Lydian electrum.
Production of this coinage effectively ended with the King's Peace of 387 BC, which returned the Ionian cities to Persian control.