Catalog
Trite
| Issuer | Uncertain Ionian city |
|---|---|
| Year | 650 BC - 625 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Trite (⅓) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Two adjacent incuse squares of unequal size punched deeply into the plain reverse, exhibiting the characteristic mill-grain or granular texture typical of early Lydian and Ionian electrum coinage produced by the punch technique. The left square is somewhat smaller and more defined, while the right square is larger and displays an irregular, striated surface. No legend or device is present. This primitive reverse type reflects the earliest stage of Greek coin manufacture. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Among the earliest coins ever struck, these electrum trites predate any standardized monetary authority — the issuing city remains unidentified, and the natural alloy composition of the electrum itself would have varied batch to batch, since western Anatolian electrum drawn from the Pactolus River carried inconsistent gold-to-silver ratios that no early mint yet had the means to regulate.