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Obol
| Issuer | Pantikapaion (Bosporos) |
|---|---|
| Year | 380 BC - 360 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Beardless head of a young satyr in right profile, distinguished by prominent pointed animal ears and a wild mane of tousled hair rendered in bold, sweeping relief strokes characteristic of the early Bosporan engraving style. The facial features are rendered with a snub nose and subtly parted lips, conveying the archaic-to-classical transitional aesthetic of the Pantikapaion mint. The field is plain and unlettered, with the satyr's head occupying the full flan. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | ΠAN |
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| Additional information |
Pantikapaion, the dominant Greek colony on the Crimean Bosporos, owed its wealth almost entirely to grain — by the fourth century BC it was supplying a substantial portion of Athens' imported wheat, and the Spartocid dynasty that ruled the city from around 438 BC maintained that trade relationship with careful political calculation. Small silver fractions like this obol circulated locally to facilitate the everyday transactions that underpinned that larger economy, the grain trade operating at every scale simultaneously.
The tight date range places this piece squarely within the reign of Leukon I, who negotiated substantial trading privileges directly with Athens around 387 BC.