Stater

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.