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Hekte
| Issuer | Kyzikos |
|---|---|
| Year | 550 BC - 500 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 2.66 g |
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| Obverse description | A hybrid mythological creature depicted in right profile, combining a lion's head with an avian body, rendered in the archaic style characteristic of early Kyzikene coinage. The creature's leonine features are boldly modeled, with the winged or feathered body conveying a sense of heraldic power. To the right of the creature, a tunny fish is shown in upright orientation, serving as the civic badge of Kyzikos and a recurrent symbol on its electrum issues. The design occupies most of the flan, which is of irregular oval form typical of early struck electrum coinage. The field is otherwise plain. |
|---|---|
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| Mint | Kyzikos |
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| Additional information |
Kyzikos dominated electrum coinage in the Greek world for roughly two centuries, and its hektes served as the primary hard currency of Aegean maritime trade during this period. The city's position on the Propontis made it the natural clearinghouse between Black Sea grain routes and Aegean markets, and merchants across the region accepted Kyzikene electrum at a premium over locally issued coinage.
The natural electrum used here was sourced from Lydian river deposits, with gold content varying between strikes — a known inconsistency that traders accommodated through assay rather than face value.