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Tritetartemorion
| Issuer | Mende (Macedon) |
|---|---|
| Year | 460 BC - 423 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A lion's scalp shown en face in strong relief, with mane rendered as a series of stylized, symmetrical curving locks framing the broad facial features; the eyes, muzzle, and mane are clearly articulated. The motif is set within a square incuse punch with well-defined straight borders, a technique characteristic of early Greek coinage from the northern Aegean region. The field within the incuse is plain, with no legend or additional devices. The confrontational lion's-head type complements the obverse animal type as a symbol of power and civic identity. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Mende was one of the most prosperous poleis on the Chalcidice peninsula, its wealth built almost entirely on wine exports — Mendean wine was shipped across the Aegean in distinctive amphorae and commanded premium prices as far as Egypt and the Black Sea colonies. The fractional silver coinage of Mende served the granular commerce of a port economy where small transactions in fish, oil, and provisions demanded denominations well below the obol.
The tritetartemorion, three-quarters of a tetartemorion, is among the most awkward fractions in the Greek system — its existence at all points to a monetized local economy of unusual sophistication for a regional mint.