Fourree stater

Greek, Mysia, Kyzikos

Not on view

With the invention of ancient coinage, issuing authorities put symbols on carefully weighed lumps of metal to guarantee their weight. This stater of Kyzikos, however, is an ancient counterfeit. Rather than pure electrum, an alloy of gold and silver, it is only plated in the precious metal. Despite harsh penalties, including death for the perpetrator, counterfeiting seems to have been surprisingly widespread in antiquity.

Fourree stater, Electrum, Greek, Mysia, Kyzikos

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Fourree stater, Electrum, Greek, Mysia, Kyzikos
Fourree stater, Electrum, Greek, Mysia, Kyzikos

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