Drachm

Sinope was the dominant Greek colony on the Black Sea's southern coast and controlled substantial silver supplies routed through Pontic trade networks. The city's coinage circulated widely among merchants trading salted fish — Sinope's primary export commodity — alongside slaves and metals moving between Anatolia and the Greek mainland. The specific reverse die grouping referenced in HGC 7#388 reflects a period before the city fell under Persian satrapal pressure, when the mint operated with genuine civic autonomy.