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Stater
| Issuer | Lyttos (Crete (ancient)) |
|---|---|
| Year | 320 BC - 270 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Head of a boar to left, rendered in bold high relief within a square incuse frame bordered by a dotted bead pattern on three visible sides; the boar's bristled mane along the dorsal ridge, prominent curved tusk, and large round eye are depicted with striking naturalism. The ethnic legend ΛΥΤ appears above and ΤΙΩΝ below, divided by the animal's head, identifying the issuing city of Lyttos. The incuse square format reflects archaic Greek minting tradition, here adapted to accommodate a figural type within the recessed field. |
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| Mint | Lyttos, Crete, Greece |
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| Additional information |
Lyttos was one of the most powerful poleis in ancient Crete, a city with a militaristic constitution so close to Sparta's that ancient writers debated which had influenced the other. The city was ultimately destroyed around 220 BC by the Knossians and their allies during the Lyttian War — its citizens away on campaign when the attack came, returning to find their home razed. These staters predate that destruction by decades, struck when Lyttos was still a dominant force in the island's chronic inter-polis conflicts.