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Hemiobol
| Issuer | Ephesos |
|---|---|
| Year | 550 BC - 500 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Silver |
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| 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 |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Quadripartite incuse square divided into four recessed triangular sections by a raised cross, the result of a four-pronged punch applied during striking. The incuse is irregular in outline, consistent with archaic hammered technique. No inscription or additional device is present. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Ephesos was among the earliest Greek cities to adopt coinage, likely drawing on its position as a major Aegean trading hub and its proximity to Lydian minting traditions. The hemiobol — a fraction so small it was sometimes swallowed by merchants for safekeeping — represents the granular end of a monetary system built around the electrum stater. Switching to silver fractions allowed Ephesos to transact at a scale electrum's high value made impractical.
Rosen 572 places this piece within a tightly argued sequence of early Ephesian fractional silver, distinguished by die linkages rather than visible typological leaps.