Ancient Greek. Black Sea. Thrace. Olbia. Cast AE. 5th century BCE. 112.8g. Ex CNG. Rare. A huge and heavy cast coin from Olbia of the Black Sea. Featuring a prominent obverse of a Gorgon (Medusa(?)) and a reverse of an eagle carrying a Dolphin with APIX on 4 quadrants. These were among the largest and heaviest coins of the ancient world before the introduction of the Roman Grave. The Olbians cast their coins demonstrated by these and their smaller denominations in the shape of Dolphins, sacred to the Olbians. They were a seafaring trade civilisation and have traded these cast coins with their fellow neighbors the Scythians and Greeks. Whilst not exactly Greeks, it is evident that Greek culture has influenced the Olbians as the Gorgons depicted on these coins. Whilst monstrous, Gorgons were also depicted on official regalia or objects as a form of protective charm to ward off evil. The most famous would be Medusa who featured in the Myth of Perseus. One of the truly interesting coins of the ancient Classical world for it's weight, size and mythological depiction of one of Ancient Greece's most memorable mythical characters. #Greece #Greek #blacksea #Rome #Roman #ancient #ancientcoin #coins #numismatics #Medusa #mythology #coincollecting #olbia #gorgons #antique #rarecoins #classic #ancientgreek
Thanks.. The weight and size is pretty neat as well for an ancient. Beaten only perhaps by the later issued Graves..
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/finally-got-one-of-the-biggies.401397/ Here is a thread I posted a month or so ago. I just got one at a Austria auction. I have been looking for one for a while, since I own many coin types from the Black Sea, especially Olbia. Definitely a coin that small little hoards hit the market, like recently, then can be hard to find one for a couple of years.
Great specimen you have there. You have a point, seems like maybe occasional small hoards emerge in the market but most of these were recycled from other auctions..
