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Hemihekte
| Issuer | Kyzikos |
|---|---|
| Year | 600 BC - 550 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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| Reference(s) | Von Fritze#28, Greenwell#166, H&L III#13.2, SNG France#173 |
| Obverse description | Forepart of a tunny fish rendered in bold, archaic relief facing right, its body depicted with incised scale detail and a prominent triangular head. Flanking the main device, a smaller tunny fish appears above and a second below, both oriented facing left, serving as the civic badge of Kyzikos. The composition fills the irregular flan with confident, stylized artistry characteristic of early Ionian electrum coinage. The field is plain, with no legend or inscription, consistent with archaic Greek numismatic convention. |
|---|---|
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| Mint | Kyzikos (Mysia) |
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| Additional information |
Kyzikos was the dominant source of electrum coinage in the Greek world during the Archaic period, and its fractional issues circulated far beyond Mysia — turning up in hoards across the Black Sea littoral and into the Aegean. The hemihekte, at one-twelfth of a stater, served long-distance trade where smaller accounting units were essential. Kyzikene electrum was sufficiently trusted that it continued to be accepted by weight and reputation long after most cities had abandoned the alloy entirely.
The natural electrum drawn from the Paktolос River system gave these early pieces an irregular gold-to-silver ratio that varied noticeably even within a single issue.