The Cretan city of Kydonia was colonized by Aegina in the fifth century BCE and began striking coins approximately around 450 BCE, placing it squarely within the broader flourishing of Cretan minting that occurred throughout the fifth century. The local mint produced numerous silver staters, drachms, and smaller fractions on the Aeginetan weight standard. This early issuance included a small volume of silver hemidrachms bearing a land tortoise, roughly datable to 450–330 BCE. This was not an independent invention but a direct linkage between Kydonia and its mother city across the Aegean, a connection which matters enormously. For Kydonia to adopt this imagery was a statement of allegiance and commercial identity, announcing to any merchant handling the coin exactly which trading network and weight standard it belonged to.