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Myshemihekte - Alyattes II Sardes
| Issuer | Kings of Lydia |
|---|---|
| Year | 630 BC - 553 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Myshemihekte = 1⁄24 Hekte = 7⁄6 Drachm |
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| 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 |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain incuse square depression punched into the reverse of the flan, characteristic of the primitive punch technique employed in early Lydian electrum coinage. The incuse presents a rough, irregular recessed surface with no additional devices or inscriptions. This simple punch mark served as the authenticating countermark of the issuing authority and is typical of sub-hekte denominations from the Sardis mint during the reign of Alyattes II. |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Mintage | ND (630 BC - 553 BC) |
| Additional information |
Lydian electrum fractions like this mysheмihekte — one ninety-sixth of a stater — represent the earliest phase of coined money anywhere in the world, predating Athens, Rome, and every Persian issue. Alyattes II, father of the more famous Croesus, is credited by most scholars with formalizing the Lydian mint at Sardis, transforming what had been irregular lumps of naturally occurring electrum into a guaranteed weight series. The alloy itself was not fully controlled at this stage; the gold-silver ratio varied piece to piece, which the Lydian treasury apparently accepted as long as weight held.