Hekte

Mytilene and Phokaia operated a remarkable joint electrum coinage under a formal agreement — likely renewed periodically — that standardized weights between the two cities while allowing each to issue its own distinct types. The hekte was the workhorse denomination of that system. Mytilene's electrum came from the natural alloy found in Lydian river sources, though by the fifth century most electrum coinage involved deliberate alloying to control the gold-to-silver ratio, which varied enough between issues to affect perceived value in trade.

The Bodenstedt 39 assignment places this piece within a tightly bracketed sequence datable by stylistic progression rather than any surviving mint records.