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Hekte
| Issuer | Kyzikos |
|---|---|
| Year | 550 BC - 450 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Hekte (⅙) |
| 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 |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A deep quadripartite incuse square dominates the reverse, divided into four recessed compartments by a raised cross-shaped ridge meeting at the center, the standard reverse type employed on Kyzikene electrum hektes of this period. The incuse is strongly impressed and exhibits the irregular surface texture typical of archaic hammered coinage. The four sections display varying depths and textures resulting from the striking process. No legend, inscription, or subsidiary device appears. The overall execution is consistent with the mill-sail or windmill incuse pattern characteristic of early Kyzikene fractional electrum. |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (550 BC - 450 BC) |
| Additional information |
Kyzikos dominated the electrum coinage market across the Greek world for roughly two centuries, and the hekte was the engine of that dominance. The city's position on the Propontis made it a clearinghouse for Black Sea trade, and Kyzikan electrum became something close to an international reserve currency — accepted far outside Mysia because merchants trusted the consistent alloy and the city's commercial reach.
Von Fritze's classification of this type within his systematic study of Kyzikan coinage remains the standard reference; Greenwell's earlier numbering is retained for cross-referencing older auction records. The tunny fish on the reverse, present across virtually the entire Kyzikan series, served as the city's guarantee mark rather than a decorative afterthought.