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Tetartemorion
| Issuer | Phokaia |
|---|---|
| Year | 521 BC - 478 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Head of a griffin facing left in profile, rendered in archaic Greek style with characteristic pointed ear, open beak, and prominent eye visible in the compact flan. The design occupies the full field of this diminutive flan, with the mythological creature's head and neck boldly depicted in relief. The griffin, a sacred symbol associated with Phokaia, is rendered with fine detail despite the extremely small module. No inscription or legend appears in the field. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Phokaia was the northernmost of the great Ionian Greek cities and among the most aggressive colonizers of the ancient Mediterranean — founding Massalia (modern Marseille) around 600 BC and pushing trade routes into Iberia and the Black Sea simultaneously. These fractional silver pieces were almost certainly produced to facilitate that commerce at its smallest denomination, where a tetartemorion represented one ninety-sixth of a stater. At 0.12 g, the practical challenges of minting and handling such pieces were considerable; many examples were likely carried knotted in cloth rather than loose in a purse.
Phokaia's minting activity was sharply curtailed after the Persians sacked the city following the Ionian Revolt's collapse at Lade in 494 BC.