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Stater
| Issuer | Kyzikos |
|---|---|
| Year | 450 BC - 330 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
| 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 |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A deep quadripartite incuse square dominates the reverse, divided by two diagonal ridges into four alternating raised and sunken triangular compartments, creating a windmill or skew pattern characteristic of early Greek coinage struck by the hammer technique. The incuse is boldly impressed into the irregular flan, with the surrounding field showing the natural rough surface of the hammered electrum. No inscription or subsidiary device is present. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Kyzikos (Mysia) |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Kyzikos, the Propontine city that dominated electrum coinage for nearly two centuries, struck these staters as a near-universal trade currency across the Greek world. The city's natural access to electrum from Lydian river sources allowed uninterrupted production even as other mints shifted to silver. Each issue carried a different obverse type — Von Fritze catalogued over 200 distinct varieties — making the series one of the most typologically diverse in ancient numismatics.
Greenwell #95 and Von Fritze #166 place this piece within the mature phase of the series. The Kyzikene stater was accepted by weight and reputation rather than political authority, a rare case of commodity trust functioning as monetary infrastructure across competing city-states.