Catalog
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| Issuer | Istros |
|---|---|
| Year | 450 BC - 400 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | 12.0 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Retrograde or partially formed Greek letters ΙΣΤ, serving as an abbreviation for the issuing city of Istros, boldly struck in the central field. The inscription is rendered in archaic Greek letterforms and occupies the majority of the reverse field. The flan exhibits irregular edges and surface patination consistent with ancient bronze coinage from the western Pontic region. No additional decorative elements or borders are present. |
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| Reverse lettering | ΙΣΤ |
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| Additional information |
Istros, a Milesian colony on the western Black Sea coast near the Danube delta, was one of the earliest Greek settlements in the region to strike bronze coinage. These small fractional bronzes circulated alongside the city's better-known silver issues, handling low-value transactions in a port economy built largely on grain, fish, and Pontic trade goods. The colony maintained enough autonomy to run its own mint through repeated political turbulence in the wider Greek world.