Watch List notes:

GREEK COINS
Asia Minor, uncertain mint

Phocaic stater sixth century BC, EL 16.50 g. Panther or lioness walking r., head facing; above, unidentified object. All within raised disk. Rev. Two square incuse punches of different size. For reverse incuse punch, cf. Weidauer 198.
Apparently unique and unrecorded. An issue of great importance and of fine Archaic
style struck on a large flan. Light reddish tone and extremely fine


From an English private collection.

The early electrum coinage that began in western Asia Minor sometime during the mid-7th century B.C. for the most part adhered to three distinct weight standards: the northern Phokaic standard of c. 16.5 grams, the southern Milesian (or Lydo-Milesian) standard of c. 14.1 grams, and in between on the island-state of Samos the heavier Attic-Euboic standard of c. 17.4 grams. These three different standards came into being as a result of informal leagues or trading networks all sharing a need for a uniform system of weights in order to efficiently transact business with one other. The reverses were stamped with square and rectangular punches, and it seems that in addition to a uniform weight standard each trading network also used a unique punch pattern which was consistently applied within its sphere of influence. For example, on this coin two square punches of unequal size were applied to the reverse, one beside the other, and this is seen throughout the zone where the Phokaic standard was prevalent. As opposed to the weights and punch-patterns, however, the obverse designs on these early coins often leave no indication as to where a particular type was struck. There are some exceptions, of course, one of the most notable being the device of the seal which served as a punning allusion to the city of Phokaia. This lack of obvious reference is simply due to the fact that the designs used as types were only occasionally civic badges of a static nature, instead being the personal badges of the individuals responsible for their issuance, be it the ruler or someone else within the administration assigned the task. All we can say about the present coin with any certainty is that it is from the northern region that used the Phokaic standard; the obverse type of either a panther or lioness does not in itself lend assistance in identifying the mint.