New Discovery: The Smallest Electrum Denomination

Sale: Triton XIII, Lot: 190. Estimate $1000.  Closing Date: Monday, 4 January 2010.  Sold For $4750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

IONIA, Uncertain. Circa 625-600 BC. EL 1/192 Stater (0.06 g). Milesian standard. Geometric type. Indistinct design / Incuse square punch. Cf. SNG Kayhan 691 = Rosen 356 = Vismara, Arcaica 122; otherwise unpublished. Good VF. Extremely rare electrum denomination, apparently the second known.

The smallest electrum denomination previously published was the 1/96 stater. The anomalous coin cited above and now in the Kayhan collection has a weight of 0.08 g, between the expected weights for a 1/96 and 1/192 stater. Considering that electrum fractions rarely weigh above the expected weight, that coin is more likely an underweight 1/96 stater.