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Stater
| Issuer | Kos |
|---|---|
| Year | 530 BC - 500 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Silver |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Two incuse square punches of differing sizes sunk into the plain reverse, the larger punch to the right divided diagonally into four triangular compartments in a mill-sail or windmill pattern with rough irregular surfaces, and a smaller plain square punch to the left. This double incuse reverse is characteristic of early archaic Greek hammered silver coinage, serving as the countermark of the anvil die during striking. The fields within the punches show the rough texture typical of the period. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (530 BC - 500 BC) |
| Additional information |
Kos operated as a significant trading hub in the eastern Aegean during the late Archaic period, and its early silver coinage reflects direct commercial engagement with Lydian and Phoenician weight standards circulating across the region. The Koan stater aligns with the Chian-Rhodian weight standard, a deliberate choice that facilitated exchange with neighboring island polities rather than mainland Greek markets.
BMC Greek #1 placement indicates this is among the earliest documented examples attributed to the Koan mint — a position that carries real chronological weight given how fragmentary the attribution evidence remains for many Aegean island coinages of this period.