Ancients MYSIA. Cyzicus. Ca. 550-500 BC. EL stater (17mm, 15.99

Ancients
MYSIA. Cyzicus. Ca. 550-500 BC. EL stater (17mm, 15.99 gm). NGC VF 4/5 - 5/5. Head of Athena left, wearing Corinthian helmet; behind, tunny / Quadripartite incuse square. H. von Fritze, "Die Elektronprägung von Kyzikus," Nomisma VII (1912), 64, pl. II, 17; SNG BN -; BMFA 1432. Rare. Large impressive electrum coin from the early period near the beginning of the invention of stamped coinage. Nice clear detail with two rather large flan cracks.

Cyzicus was an important city on the northwestern coast of Anatolia, well positioned to take advantage of trade across and through the Sea of Marmara. Its coinage was in more or less continuous production from about 550 BC to circa AD 630, a nearly 1,200 year span unmatched by any other ancient mint. The tunny (tuna) fish was the symbol of Cyzicus from mid-6th century BC, when the city began striking electrum staters and fractions that circulated so widely the generic term for a stater became a cyzicenus.  The fishing trade was critical to the economy of Cyzicus and it is likely the tunny fish became a form of pre-coinage currency, which carried over to become a mint symbol after the invention of coinage in nearby Lydia. 

HID02901242017

Estimate: 2000-3000 USD