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Hemihekte
| Issuer | Kyzikos (Mysia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 400 BC - 380 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Hemihekte (1⁄12) |
| 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 |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | An eagle displayed in right profile, wings outstretched and partially spread, perched atop a tunny fish (tuna) lying horizontally to the left, a characteristic civic emblem of Kyzikos. The eagle is rendered in high relief with finely articulated feathering, the body turned slightly forward in a dynamic pose. The tunny fish serves as the principal symbol of Kyzikos and appears as a ground line beneath the eagle. The design occupies the full flan with bold, confident archaic engraving typical of fifth-century Mysian coinage. No legend or inscription is present. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Quadripartite incuse square divided by deeply cut diagonal grooves into four raised triangular sections, creating a windmill or pinwheel pattern characteristic of early electrum coinage. Each of the four compartments displays a rough, granular surface texture resulting from the hammered striking technique. The incuse is deeply impressed and irregular in outline, consistent with hand-struck archaic coinage of the eastern Greek world. No inscription or additional device is present. This reverse type is standard for Kyzikene electrum fractions of the period. |
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| Additional information |
Kyzikos was the dominant source of electrum coinage in the Greek world during the fifth and fourth centuries, its issues circulating far beyond Mysia as a trusted merchant currency across the Black Sea trade network. The city's electrum came from natural alluvial sources with a gold content that varied by issue — a known inconsistency that traders apparently tolerated, suggesting Kyzikene reputation carried more weight than strict metallurgical uniformity.
The hemihekte represents the smallest practical subdivision of the Kyzikene system. Von Fritze's corpus remains the foundational reference, though the "cf." qualifier here signals this piece doesn't align cleanly with a catalogued type — worth noting for anyone tracing die links.