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Hemihekte - Alyattes II Sardes
| Issuer | Kings of Lydia |
|---|---|
| Year | 610 BC - 560 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Electrum Hemihekte (7⁄3) |
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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 | Facing lion's head in high relief, rendered in a bold archaic style characteristic of early Lydian coinage. The mane is indicated by deeply striated ridges radiating around the powerful head, with the jaws slightly parted. The surface of the flan is irregular and granular, consistent with the natural properties of the electrum alloy used. No legend or inscription appears in the field, as was customary for this early pre-inscribed coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Alyattes inherited a kingdom already experimenting with electrum coinage and pushed production to a scale his predecessors hadn't attempted, likely to fund the near-continuous warfare that defined his reign — including a six-year war against Miletus and sustained campaigns against Median forces. The hemi-hekte denomination, a twelfth of a stater, placed coinage within reach of transactions well below the elite level, suggesting these weren't purely ceremonial or treasury instruments.
Weidauer's classification remains the foundational reference for early Lydian electrum, though the natural variation in alloy composition across dies complicates attribution. The electrum itself was river-sourced from the Pactolus.