Stater

Abydos held a strategically choking position at the narrowest point of the Hellespont, and control of the city changed hands repeatedly during the final decades of the Peloponnesian War. Spartan admiral Mindaros used it as a forward base before his defeat at Cyzicus in 410 BC, and Persian satrap Pharnabazus maintained heavy influence over the region throughout this coinage's lifespan. Gold issues from Abydos in this period are closely tied to Achaemenid financial backing of Sparta against Athens — Persian gold funding the very coins that helped end Athenian naval dominance.