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Stater
| Issuer | Kyzikos |
|---|---|
| Year | 500 BC - 475 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Facing head of a lion or panther (forepart), rendered in archaic style with prominent brow ridges and gaping jaws, occupying the central field. Radiating petals or leaf-like projections surround the upper portion of the head, characteristic of the Kyzikene artistic tradition. A tunny fish (tuna), the civic emblem of Kyzikos, is depicted in the lower field beneath the central device. A small bee or similar subsidiary symbol appears to the right of the main device in the field. The design is executed in bold, high relief typical of early fifth-century BC electrum coinage from the Propontis region. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (500 BC - 475 BC) |
| Additional information |
Kyzikos, positioned on the southern shore of the Propontis, controlled access between the Aegean and Black Sea trade routes, and its electrum staters functioned as a de facto international trade currency across the Greek world for roughly two centuries. The city's issues are distinguished by the consistent incorporation of a tunny fish — the foundation of Kyzikene commercial wealth — into every type, allowing attribution even when the primary device changes completely from issue to issue.
The electrum itself was not locally sourced but imported, likely from Lydian or Pontic suppliers. Von Fritze's classification of this type places it in the transitional phase between archaic and early classical fabric.