A silver hemiobol of Kyzikos, dated to 480–400 BC, belongs to the small-denomination issues of one of the most important monetary centers of northwestern Asia Minor during the Classical period.
Kyzikos, situated on the Propontis, was a major commercial and minting center, renowned above all for its electrum coinage of the 6th and 5th centuries BC. Alongside its well-known electrum staters, the city also produced small silver denominations intended for local circulation.
The obverse depicts the protome of a boar facing left, with a tuna fish to the right. The image of the tuna is a constant and characteristic symbol of Kyzikos, appearing consistently in its coinage from the Archaic period onward; this motif is associated with the city’s maritime location and the importance of fishing in the region.
Greece
Mysia, Kyzikos, Hemiobol 480-400 BC
Obverse: forepart of boar left, tunny fish to right
Reverse: head of lion left
Diameter 9 mm, weight 0.47 g
