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Æ
| Issuer | Olbia |
|---|---|
| Year | 350 BC - 330 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Drachm |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A sea eagle stands to the left with wings spread and head turned to the right, perched atop a dolphin oriented to the left, a motif emblematic of Olbian coinage referencing the city's maritime identity. The Greek legend OΛBIH appears in the upper field above the eagle, while a retrograde letter B is placed in the lower field below the dolphin. The design is boldly cast in the Olbian tradition, with the eagle rendered in strong relief and the dolphin curving naturally beneath it. The composition is centered on the flan with characteristic irregularities of the casting technique. |
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| Mint | Olbia |
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| Additional information |
Olbia, the Greek colony at the mouth of the Hypanis (modern Bug) river on the Black Sea's northern shore, produced some of the ancient world's most unusual bronze issues — and this oversized cast piece is among the most physically imposing of them all. The city had a long tradition of unconventional monetary forms, including cast bronze dolphins and wheel-shaped pieces, before transitioning to struck coinage. These large bronzes of the mid-fourth century circulated during a period when Olbia maintained uneasy autonomy between Scythian pressure from the steppe interior and Greek commercial networks to the south.
At 66mm across and over 100 grams, this is not pocket change — its function was likely civic or quasi-mercantile rather than everyday retail exchange.