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Stater
| Issuer | Kyzikos |
|---|---|
| Year | 550 BC - 450 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Electrum Stater (600-330BC) |
| 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 | 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 | A griffin in left-facing profile, rendered in high relief in the archaic Greek artistic style, crouches dynamically with its forelimbs extended and its sinuous tail curling upward. The creature's leonine haunches and aquiline head are rendered with characteristic Kyzikene craftsmanship. Beneath the griffin, a tunny fish is depicted in left-facing profile, serving as the civic badge (episemon) of Kyzikos. The flan is broad and slightly irregular, with no inscriptions in the field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
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| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Kyzikos, a Milesian colony on the Propontis, was among the most prolific issuers of electrum coinage in the ancient world, and its staters circulated far beyond the Black Sea trade routes as a de facto international currency throughout the fifth century. The city's natural access to electrum — an alloy occurring in varying gold-to-silver ratios depending on source — meant each issue could differ subtly in fineness, a fact traders learned to test by weight rather than trust by sight.
Kyzikene staters are notable for changing their type with remarkable frequency, making the series one of the most typologically diverse of any ancient mint.