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Hemihekte - Alyattes II Uncertain mint
| Issuer | Kings of Lydia |
|---|---|
| Year | 610 BC - 560 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Drachm |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | A single large, deeply struck incuse square punch dominates the reverse, with an irregular and rough surface texture resulting from the primitive hammered technique employed at the Lydian mint. The punch shows no figural design, being entirely undecorated, as is typical of the earliest issues of Lydian electrum coinage prior to the introduction of two-punch reverses. The fabric of the flan is irregular and slightly convex on the obverse side. |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (610 BC - 560 BC) |
| Additional information |
These fractional electrum pieces predate the formalization of Lydian coinage under Croesus and were almost certainly issued before a standardized royal mint infrastructure existed, which explains the "uncertain mint" attribution. Alyattes II is generally credited with transforming ad hoc electrum dumps into a recognizable coinage system — a process still underway during his reign. The natural electrum alloy varies noticeably between specimens, reflecting inconsistent ore sources rather than deliberate debasement.