Hekte

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.