5th Century BC
 
Bronze Cast. 126.33g (4.45 ounces or Over a 1/4 lb!) 69mm. Struck 437-410 BC.

Facing gorgoneion with full cheeks, triangular chin and protruding tongue under teeth.

Reverse: Sea eagle flying right, wings spread, holding dolphin right in its talons; A-P-I-X in angles formed by wings.Attractive green and brown patina.

VF-XF. Attractive green and brown patina, some scratches. Huge Rare Coin.

Ref. Anokhin 168; Karyshkovskij p. 395, Таб. III=B, 2; Frolova & Abramzon 156–8; SNG BM Black Sea 383; HGC 3, 1881.

Founded in the late 7th century BC on the coast of present-day Ukraine, Olbia, was a colony of Miletos located at the junction of the Hyspanis and Borysthenes rivers and grew prosperous on trade between the nomadic Scythians and the Greeks. At first, lacking sufficient quantities of silver or gold to institute a precious metal coinage, it instead used an innovative casting technique to produce a sizable and varied coinage in bronze. These were the largest size ancient coinage till the advent of the Roman Aes Grave (heavy bronze) issued during the Roman Republic.
 

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