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Stater
| Issuer | Kyzikos (Mysia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 410 BC - 334 BC |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| In circulation to | 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 of mill-sail or windmill type, deeply punched into the flat reverse flan, with four recessed rectangular compartments divided by a raised cross-shaped ridge. The incuse is boldly impressed and slightly irregular, consistent with the hand-struck hammered technique characteristic of Kyzikene electrum coinage. The field within each quadrant shows a rough, granular texture typical of fifth- to fourth-century BC Greek incuse reverses. No inscription or additional devices are present. |
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| Mint | Kyzikos |
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| Additional information |
Kyzikos held a near-monopoly on electrum coinage in the Greek world for roughly two centuries, and the city's staters functioned as an international trade currency across the Black Sea and Aegean networks — accepted far beyond Mysian territory precisely because the city guaranteed a consistent alloy. The natural electrum sourced from regional deposits gave each issue a slightly variable gold-to-silver ratio, which Kyzikene merchants understood and foreign traders simply trusted.
Production ceased abruptly when Alexander's conquests flooded the eastern Mediterranean with Macedonian gold, collapsing demand for the old regional trading currencies almost overnight.