The Greek settlements along with the Asia Minor coast (modern day Turkey) were major trading areas and also intermediaries in the introduction of coinage. The metal of choice was electrum for the earliest coins. These coins were only stamped on one side, with the other side being some sort of crude or later quadripartite incuse. The pictorial symbol of a seal is ever present on the coinage from Phocaea. This was a pun on the name of the city-state (Φώκη) which translated to seal.