Hekte

Phokaia shared a currency agreement with Mytilene on Lesbos, the two cities alternating electrum stater production on a fixed schedule — a rare formal monetary arrangement in the Greek world. The hekte denomination, one-sixth of a stater, circulated widely beyond its issuing polis, turning up in hoards from the Black Sea coast to Egypt. Phokaian electrum typically carries a higher silver content than Lydian issues, giving surviving pieces a noticeably paler color than the richer gold tones of contemporary Lydian coinage.