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Tetartemorion
| Issuer | Kyzikos (Mysia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 480 BC - 400 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Head of a roaring lion facing left within a quadrilateral incuse square, depicted with open jaws and protruding tongue in a vigorous, deeply cut style characteristic of Kyzikene coinage. A four-rayed star appears above the lion's head within the incuse field. The incuse technique, standard for electrum and small silver fractions of this mint, creates a strong contrast between the raised design and the sunken border. |
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| Mint | Cyzicus, modern-day Kapıdağ Peninsula, Turkey |
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| Additional information |
Kyzikos was one of the most commercially active mints on the Propontis, better known for its prolific electrum coinage than its silver fractions. These tiny silver pieces served local retail exchange where even the smallest electrum denominations were too valuable for everyday transactions. At roughly a quarter-obol, the tetartemorion sat at the absolute floor of the Greek monetary system.
The Von Fritze classification remains the authoritative reference for Kyzikene silver, derived from his 1912 study in the Nomisma series.