Numismatica Ars Classica
Auction 124 23 Jun 2021
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Mysia, Cyzicus.
Stater circa 360-330, EL 15.97 g. Bearded and laureate head l. (Philip II of Macedonia?); beneath neck truncation, tunny l. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square with rough surfaces. von Fritze 199 and pl. 6, 11 (same obverse die). Jameson 1414b and pl. XCV (this coin). G.F. Hill, NC 1925, pl. I, 37.
Very rare. An intriguing and fascinating issue with a light reddish tone.
Obverse slightly off-centre, otherwise about very fine
Ex Naville IV, 1922, Grand-Duke Michailovitch, 724 and Gemini VII, 2011, 468 sales. From the Feuardent and Jameson collections.
By the mid-sixth century BC, most Greek cities had abandoned the use of the electrum as an alloy for coinage and begun to strike coins in silver and, to a much lesser extent, gold. Kyzikos, however, held on to the old alloy of mixed silver and gold down to the late fourth century BC for its extensive series of staters. Frequent finds of Kyzikene staters in the Black Sea region have led to the conclusion that Kyzikos continued to produce these coins as an aid to the important and profitable Black Sea grain trade. As the indigenous grain producers of the region had come to expect payment in electrum, Kyzikos took on the job of ensuring that the supply of staters (and associated fractions) continued, even though the rest of the Greek world had moved on from this alloy. The types used for Kyzikene electrum staters were extremely varied-some 207 individual types and varieties have been catalogued-and many seem to depict the badges of other cities. This multiplicity of types has led to the suggestion that at least some of the coins may have been produced at Kyzikos on commission from other cities planning business ventures in the Black Sea region. However, while the primary types for many issues may have been drawn from the coinages of other cities, the staters of Kyzikos almost always include a tunny (tuna) fish as part of the design as a means of identifying the city at which they were issued. The tunny was an emblem of Kyzikos and had been a regular feature of Kyzikene coinage going back to the sixth century BC. On the present issue of the fourth century BC, the tunny mint mark is very clear beneath the neck of the balding head of Silenos.
Stater circa 360-330, EL 15.97 g. Bearded and laureate head l. (Philip II of Macedonia?); beneath neck truncation, tunny l. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square with rough surfaces. von Fritze 199 and pl. 6, 11 (same obverse die). Jameson 1414b and pl. XCV (this coin). G.F. Hill, NC 1925, pl. I, 37.
Very rare. An intriguing and fascinating issue with a light reddish tone.
Obverse slightly off-centre, otherwise about very fine
Ex Naville IV, 1922, Grand-Duke Michailovitch, 724 and Gemini VII, 2011, 468 sales. From the Feuardent and Jameson collections.
By the mid-sixth century BC, most Greek cities had abandoned the use of the electrum as an alloy for coinage and begun to strike coins in silver and, to a much lesser extent, gold. Kyzikos, however, held on to the old alloy of mixed silver and gold down to the late fourth century BC for its extensive series of staters. Frequent finds of Kyzikene staters in the Black Sea region have led to the conclusion that Kyzikos continued to produce these coins as an aid to the important and profitable Black Sea grain trade. As the indigenous grain producers of the region had come to expect payment in electrum, Kyzikos took on the job of ensuring that the supply of staters (and associated fractions) continued, even though the rest of the Greek world had moved on from this alloy. The types used for Kyzikene electrum staters were extremely varied-some 207 individual types and varieties have been catalogued-and many seem to depict the badges of other cities. This multiplicity of types has led to the suggestion that at least some of the coins may have been produced at Kyzikos on commission from other cities planning business ventures in the Black Sea region. However, while the primary types for many issues may have been drawn from the coinages of other cities, the staters of Kyzikos almost always include a tunny (tuna) fish as part of the design as a means of identifying the city at which they were issued. The tunny was an emblem of Kyzikos and had been a regular feature of Kyzikene coinage going back to the sixth century BC. On the present issue of the fourth century BC, the tunny mint mark is very clear beneath the neck of the balding head of Silenos.