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Trihemiobol Smyrne type
| Issuer | Massalia |
|---|---|
| Year | 480 BC |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Phocaean Drachm |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Incuse quadripartite square divided by a raised cross into four recessed rectangular compartments, each with a granular or striated surface, characteristic of early archaic Greek coinage technique. The incuse punch is deeply impressed and well-centered on the irregular flan. No inscription is present. The overall design closely follows the Phocaean monetary tradition inherited from the mother city of Phocaea. The treatment is austere and purely geometric, devoid of any figurative element. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Massalia — modern Marseille — was founded around 600 BC by Phocaean Greeks, and its earliest coinage closely mirrored the weight standards and types of its Aegean homeland. This tiny denomination belongs to the archaic phase of Massalian output, struck when the colony was still consolidating trade dominance over the indigenous Ligurian and Celtic networks of the western Mediterranean littoral. The Smyrne type designation reflects the Ionian stylistic ancestry the Massalians deliberately maintained, distinguishing their issues from Italic and Iberian contemporaries.
At 1.3 g, this is among the smallest fractions the mint produced at any period.