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Hemidrachm
| Issuer | Kydonia |
|---|---|
| Year | 450 BC - 330 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Incuse square divided into eight segments by diagonal and straight lines radiating from a central boss, forming a star or wheel-like pattern within a circular border. The segments are deeply recessed and separated by raised ridges meeting at the center, a design characteristic of early Greek hammered coinage employing a complex incuse punch. The field is uneven due to the hand-struck technique, and no legend or additional device is present. This geometric incuse reverse is typical of Kydonian hemidrachms of the classical period. |
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| Mintage | ND (450 BC - 330 BC) |
| Additional information |
Kydonia was one of the oldest cities on Crete's northwest coast, its origins stretching back to Minoan settlement, and by the classical period it operated a sufficiently independent mint to produce a recognizable coinage series despite the island's chronic political fragmentation. The hemidrachm denomination was the workhorse of small regional exchange throughout the Aegean, and Kydonia's issues circulated against competition from the more prolific neighboring cities of Knossos and Gortyna.
The SNG Copenhagen 402 reference places this piece within a well-documented but modestly sized series. Surviving specimens are scarce enough that die studies remain incomplete.