Mysia, Kyzikos Obol Ca. 550-500 BC

A very rare silver obol of Kyzikos, struck in the 6th century BC, featuring a dolphin above a tunny fish, both swimming left. Published in the Handbook of Greek Coinage, Volume 8, Part 1 (no. 480), the type is absent from the earlier major references.

Mysia, Kyzikos.
Ca. 550-500 BC.
Obol (Silver, 10.69 mm, 0.73 g).

Obv: Dolphin left; below, tunny left.
Rev: Quadripartite incuse square.

Reference: HGC 8.1, 480. CNG E-291, lot 68; CNG E-286, lot 74; Roma IV, lot 1495; Gorny & Mosch 212, lot 1704; Lanz 117, lot 284. Very rare.

Situated on the southern shore of the Sea of Marmara, Kyzikos owed much of its prosperity to maritime trade and fishing. The tunny fish became its enduring civic emblem, appearing throughout its coinage in varied and imaginative designs. These depictions reflect the importance of the sea to the city’s economy and identity, offering a tangible connection to one of the ancient world’s flourishing maritime centres.

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