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Hemihekte
| Issuer | Uncertain Ionian city |
|---|---|
| Year | 600 BC - 550 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Incuse square punch of irregular form, divided into quadrants by raised ridges forming a rough mill-sail or swastika-like pattern in shallow relief, typical of the primitive incuse reverses applied by the punch die on early Ionian electrum fractions. The surface within the incuse is granular and uneven, reflecting the hand-struck technique and the small module of the flan. No inscription, legend, or secondary type is present. The overall execution is consistent with archaic Ionian mint practice of the early sixth century BC. |
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| Mintage | ND (600 BC - 550 BC) |
| Additional information |
Among the earliest coined money produced anywhere in the world, electrum fractions from uncertain Ionian mints predate the standardized coinage programs of Lydia and the Greek city-states proper. The issuing authority for pieces like this one has never been conclusively established — Miletus, Phocaea, and Ephesus have all been proposed, and the debate remains open in the scholarly literature.
The electrum itself was naturally occurring, sourced from the rivers of Lydia, with gold-to-silver ratios varying unpredictably from piece to piece. This made valuation genuinely difficult in circulation.