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Hekte
| Issuer | Kyzikos |
|---|---|
| Year | 450 BC - 330 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Left-facing head of the mythological hunter Aktaion, depicted with a stag's antler horn projecting above his forehead — an allusion to his legendary transformation. Beneath the bust, a tunny fish (the civic emblem of Kyzikos) swims to the left, serving as the customary Kyzikene type-marker. The rendering is characteristic of the accomplished die-engraving tradition of the Kyzikene mint, with fine facial modelling in high relief against a plain field. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND - 5th-4th centuries BC |
| Additional information |
Kyzikos dominated the electrum hekte trade across the Aegean for well over a century, and its coins functioned as a de facto international currency for mercenary payments, temple treasuries, and inter-city transactions at a time when most poleis still relied on silver. The city's position on the Propontis gave it control over Black Sea grain traffic, and that leverage underwrote the coinage's extraordinary longevity and acceptance.
Von Fritze catalogued over 200 distinct hekte types from the mint — each with a different obverse type but the always-present tunny fish as anchor. This piece corresponds to his type 141, cross-referenced in SNG France 290.