MYSIA, Kyzikos
AR Hemiobol. 0.40g, 9.3mm
MINTED: MYSIA, Kyzikos, circa 550-500 BC
REF: SNG Copenhagen 49
OBVERSE: Forepart of boar left; tunny behind.
REVERSE: Head of lion left; star in upper left field; all within incuse square.
 
Notes:
Slightly crystallized surfaces, as is often the case for small silver fractions of this antiquity, but retaining bold, clear detail of the devices.   
 
Historical Notes:
Kyzikos began as one of the many settlements founded by colonists from the city of Miletos in the 7th century BC.  Located on the southwestern coast of the Sea of Marmara in northwestern Asia Minor, it soon grew to become a large port-city, serving as an important trade hub between the Aegean and Black Seas.  When the Delian League was formed by Athens in 478 BC to liberate the Greek cities then under the rule of the Persian Empire, Kyzikos was a member and one of the largest contributors to the cause.  During the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC), Kyzikos was the site of a naval battle where the Athenian fleet under the general Alcibiades defeated a combined force of Spartans and Persians.