Obol

Kolophon was among the earliest Greek cities to adopt coinage, and its fractional silver issues predate the city's eventual subjugation by Lydia and later Persia. The polis had lost significant autonomy by the late sixth century, which makes the independent civic character of these small fractions historically pointed — they were likely struck in the window before Persian administrative control tightened under Darius I.

At 0.71g, these pieces circulated as genuine transactional currency rather than prestige objects, probably settling small market debts in a city whose wealth derived substantially from its purple-dye trade and timber exports.