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Tetartemorion
| Issuer | Kyzikos |
|---|---|
| Year | 450 BC - 400 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Forepart of a boar advancing to the left, rendered in archaic relief typical of early Kyzikene coinage. The animal's bristled back, snout, and foreleg are clearly delineated within the compact flan. No legend or inscription appears in the field. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (450 BC - 400 BC) |
| Additional information |
Kyzikos was one of the ancient world's most prolific and commercially sophisticated mints, sitting astride the Propontis trade routes connecting the Aegean to the Black Sea. Its fractional silver — including pieces this small — functioned as genuine small-change currency in a port economy that needed every denomination. At 0.22 g, this tetartemorion represents one quarter of an obol, itself one sixth of a drachm: the arithmetic of everyday Greek commerce reduced to a nearly invisible silver flake.
The city's mint output was remarkably consistent through the fifth century, a discipline unusual among contemporaries.