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Olbia, Skythia, c. 5th Century B.C.
| The Hellenic city of Olbia was founded in the 7th century B.C. by colonists from Miletus. It was located in what is modern-day Ukraine at the convergence of the Hypanis and Borysthenes rivers, about 15 miles inland from the Northwest coast of the Black Sea. Well located for trade, its harbor was one of the main ports on the Black Sea for the export of cereals, fish, and slaves to Greece, and for the import of Attic goods to Scythia. The area was already a major grain supplier by the 5th century B.C. Small bronze dolphins were cast in Olbia, beginning around 550 - 525 B.C., at first as sacrificial objects for the worship of Apollo. Soon after their introduction it seems they were used as an early form of proto-money. Later, when proper coins came into the area, we find the cast bronze dolphins in hoards mixed along with coins, strong evidence that they were being used as money. Most of the Olbia dolphins were cast in trees with a sprue attached to where the tail would be. Many like this one were broken off in the body of the dolphin, leaving them without a tail. |  |
GB94129. Bronze cast dolphin, SNG BM 373, SNG Pushkin 27, SNG Cop 69, SNG Stancomb 339, VF, earthen encrusted, Olbia (Parutino, Ukraine) mint, weight 1.709g, maximum diameter 29.2mm, die axis 0o, c. 5th century B.C.; obverse dolphin with raised eye and dorsal fin, no tail; reverse ΘY; SOLD
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