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Dolphin
| Issuer | Olbia |
|---|---|
| Year | 520 BC - 440 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Currency | Log in to see details |
| 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 | The reverse presents the convex dorsal surface of the dolphin-form casting, mirroring the obverse in its overall silhouette and showing the characteristic arched back with the dorsal fin rendered as a small raised triangular projection. The surface is smooth but granular from the casting process, covered with an even dark green patina with traces of brown oxidation. A shallow central groove runs longitudinally along the body, echoing the ventral ridge of the obverse. No inscription, device, or exergual marking is present, as is typical of this early pre-coin monetary form from the Greek colony of Olbia on the Black Sea. |
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| Mintage | ND (520 BC - 440 BC) - There are varieties in weight and size |
| Additional information |
Olbia, the Greek colony at the mouth of the Hypanis (modern Bug) river on the Black Sea's northern shore, issued these cast bronze pieces as some of the earliest token currency in the Greek world — predating struck coinage at the site by over a century. The dolphin form almost certainly carried religious significance tied to Apollo Delphinios, the city's principal deity, though a practical connection to the Black Sea fishing economy is equally plausible. These were not struck but cast, likely in clay molds, which accounts for the considerable weight variation seen across surviving examples.