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Stater
| Issuer | Kyzikos |
|---|---|
| Year | 550 BC - 450 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 16.01 g |
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| Obverse description | Forepart of a bull facing left, rendered in bold archaic relief with finely engraved details on the muzzle, horn, and ear. Beneath the bull's neck, a tunny fish swims to the left, serving as the civic badge of Kyzikos. The composition fills the irregularly shaped flan with confident naturalism characteristic of the finest Kyzikene electrum coinage. No legend or inscription appears in the field. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Mintage | ND (550 BC - 450 BC) |
| Additional information |
Kyzikos, situated on the Propontis in Mysia, dominated electrum coinage production in the Greek world for roughly two centuries, and its staters were the preferred hard currency of Black Sea trade and Athenian mercenary contracts alike. The city's output was so trusted that Kyzkene staters circulated far outside their region of issue, appearing in hoards from Egypt to the Crimea. Each emission carries a distinctive tunny fish — not described here — but that device served as the city's guarantee mark rather than a design element, a monetary authentication system predating die control marks used elsewhere by generations.