IONIA. Phokaia. Circa 625/600-550 BC. Myshemihekte – 1/24 Stater (Electrum, 7 mm, 0.68 g). Head of a seal to left. Rev. Rough incuse punch. BMFA -. Bodenstedt 2.2. Naumann 19 (2014), 230. Rosen -. SNG Kayhan 1427 var. (differing style, especially the incuse). SNG von Aulock -. Rare. A beautifully struck coin with a wonderful head of a seal. Good extremely fine.
This and the following lot 135 below illustrate how difficult the attribution of early electrum coins can be: both coins are struck to the same weight standard and show the head of a seal on the obverse, but the style of the obverse as well as the design of the reverse incuse are vastly different. Are these, thus, subsequent products by one and the same mint, presumably Phokaia, or rather separate issues from differing mints altogether?