Catalog
Æ13
| Issuer | Istros |
|---|---|
| Year | 120 BC - 100 BC |
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| Currency | Drachm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A sea-eagle stands to left with wings raised, its talons firmly grasping a dolphin oriented downward. The composition conveys dynamic tension between predator and prey, a recurring civic type of Istros referencing the city's maritime identity on the Black Sea coast. The abbreviated ethnic legend ΙΣΤΡΙ appears above the eagle in Greek characters. The design is rendered in a bold, schematic style typical of late Hellenistic bronze issues from the western Pontic region. |
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| Mintage | ND (120 BC - 100 BC) |
| Additional information |
Istros, the Greek colony at the mouth of the Danube, was one of the earliest Greek settlements on the Black Sea coast — founded by Miletus around the seventh century BC. By the late second century, the city operated under increasing Pontic pressure as Mithridates VI expanded his influence across the western Black Sea. Small civic bronzes like this one continued to circulate locally through that transition, filling the gap left by the declining output of larger silver issues.