Stater

Kyzikos dominated electrum coinage in the Aegean world for over two centuries, and its staters functioned as a de facto international trade currency across Greek, Persian, and Thracian markets simultaneously. The city's access to electrum — likely sourced via trade connections with Lydia — allowed it to sustain an output no rival mint could match. Each emission carried a unique obverse type, which is why the SNG von Aulock corpus runs to thousands of entries for this single issuing city.

The alloy composition of Kyzikenian staters was closely regulated, maintaining a gold-to-silver ratio that traders recognized and trusted without assaying.