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Hemihekte
| Issuer | Kyzikos |
|---|---|
| Year | 550 BC - 450 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Quadripartite incuse square of mill-sail type, divided into four recessed compartments of alternating raised and sunken sections, creating a distinctive windmill or pinwheel pattern typical of archaic Greek electrum coinage. The incuse is deeply and precisely struck, with each quadrant exhibiting a smooth, slightly irregular surface consistent with hand-hammered production. No inscription or subsidiary device is present. This reverse type is characteristic of Kyzikene fractional electrum issues of the sixth to fifth century BC. |
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| Mint | Kyzikos |
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| Additional information |
Kyzikos sat on the Propontis controlling one of the busiest transit points between the Aegean and the Black Sea, and its electrum coinage — minted from naturally occurring alloy rather than refined gold or silver — became the dominant trade currency across that corridor for over two centuries. The city issued in a fractional series with unusual discipline, and the hemihekte, a twelfth of the stater, served hard commercial use in small transactions where full staters were impractical.
The electrum of Kyzikene coins carries a gold content that varies noticeably across the series, reflecting the inconsistent alloy composition of Lydian and local river sources.