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Æ24
| Issuer | Olbia |
|---|---|
| Year | 330 BC - 280 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Bearded head of the river-god Borysthenes facing left, rendered in bold relief with flowing, deeply engraved locks of hair and a full beard rendered in undulating strands. Two short bovine horns rise from the forehead, emblematic of the deity's fluvial nature. The facial features are modelled in a vigorous Hellenistic style, with a prominent brow, large eye, and aquiline nose. The flan is characteristically irregular, as typical of Olbian civic bronze coinage of this period. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Olbia, the Milesian colony at the mouth of the Hypanis (modern Bug River), was one of the earliest Greek cities to experiment with cast bronze coinage — the famous "dolphin" and "arrow" primitives — before transitioning to struck issues like this one. By the late 4th century, Olbia was navigating increasing pressure from Scythian tribes inland while maintaining profitable grain and slave trade with the Aegean world. The civic bronze issues of this period were the workhorse currency of that commerce.
The broad date range assigned to this type reflects genuine scholarly uncertainty rather than carelessness — the absence of datable hoards containing this specific issue makes tighter attribution difficult.