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Ionia, Hecte

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Ionia, Hecte (obverse) Ionia, Hecte (reverse)

This hecte is very rare. It was struck from electrum somewhere in Ionia after the Milesian standard. Especially interesting is the geometrical pattern on the reverse face. Previously coin reverses had always been without illustrations; all they had shown were the rough incuses made by the punch used to drive the electrum into the obverse die. To decorate the reverse of a coin with a pattern was thus the first step to the reverse coin face designs.

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Signet Sunflower Foundation