Stater

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.