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Hekte
| Issuer | Mytilene (Lesbos) |
|---|---|
| Year | 412 BC - 378 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Facing right, the youthful head of Artemis-Kybele rendered in fine archaic-to-classical Greek style, her hair bound in a sakkos (fabric hair-net). The facial features are finely modeled with a gently curved nose, almond-shaped eye, and slightly parted lips. The hair is arranged in wavy locks visible above the forehead and before the ear, with the sakkos covering the crown. The overall relief is high and the surface retains the characteristic warm golden hue of Mytilenaean electrum. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Mytilene and Phocaea operated a formal agreement — attested in ancient sources — to alternate the production of electrum hektai on a shared standard, with each city issuing distinct types while maintaining weight compatibility. This arrangement, unusual in the Greek world, likely reflects the commercial logic of the eastern Aegean trade routes where both cities were deeply embedded. The specific Bodenstedt 68 type falls within the period of Athenian defeat in Sicily and the subsequent collapse of Delian League cohesion, when independent Lesbian monetary production carried renewed political weight.