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Hekte
| Issuer | Kyzikos |
|---|---|
| Year | 550 BC - 450 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Nike advancing left, head turned back to the right, with wings spread in flight. In her extended right hand she holds a tunny fish grasped by the tail, a characteristic device of Kyzikene coinage. The figure is rendered in the Archaic Greek style, with bold, confident engraving typical of the Kyzikos mint. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (550 BC - 450 BC) |
| Additional information |
Kyzikos, situated on the Propontis, built much of its commercial power on electrum coinage mined and refined in the region — these hektes circulated as trusted trading currency across the Greek world precisely because Kyzikene electrum had a reputation for consistent alloy quality at a time when other issuers routinely debased. The city maintained effective control over this standard for well over a century, an unusually long run of monetary discipline for any ancient polis.
The tuna on the reverse — present on virtually every Kyzikene issue regardless of the changing obverse type — functioned as a civic guarantee mark, not merely decoration.