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Hekte
| Issuer | Mytilene |
|---|---|
| Year | 454 BC - 427 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Bodenstedt#51, HGC 6#977, SNG Copenhagen#307 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Bearded head of Silenos facing right, depicted within a recessed incuse square, a hallmark of the electrum coinage of Mytilene. The figure displays the characteristic iconography of Silenos: a broad, upturned snub nose, heavy beard rendered in flowing wavy locks, receding hairline, and a pronounced, somewhat grotesque physiognomy. The incuse square is neatly cut with sharp corners, contrasting the rougher texture of the surrounding flan. No inscription or legend accompanies the design. |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Mytilene |
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| Additional information |
Mytilene and Phokaia operated a formal agreement — likely established by the mid-fifth century — to produce electrum coinage on a shared standard, dividing production between their respective mints. The hekte was the practical denomination of this arrangement, circulating widely across the Aegean trading networks that both cities depended on. Mytilene's issues are distinguished from Phokaian coins by fabric and type pairing rather than explicit mint identification.
Bodenstedt 51 falls within the sequence attributed to the mature phase of Mytilenean production, before the city's catastrophic revolt against Athens in 428–427 BC nearly ended in the total enslavement of its population under the Mytilenean Debate.