Ancient Monies of the Northern Black Sea Region

A Brief Introduction Into Monies of the Northern Black Sea Region

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Olbia

Some of the world's earliest coinage may have in fact had it's origins as amulets or offerings to a god. However they began to be issued, with eventuality they soon saw service as a medium of exchange. The curious aspect of the Delfin, or Dolphin money from the city state of Olbia in Southern Ukraine is of course the shape of the pieces, which were modelled on the Black Sea dolphins. Inasmuch as dolphins were rather prominent on later ancient coinages from Syracuse and Calabria, these pieces are unique for their shape.
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The earliest pieces seem to have had a bit more detail to the designs, as dorsal fins and eyes are featured. Later pieces were produced perhaps in a bit more of a mass production scenario, and lost some of the details. Later pieces also featured some alphabetic characters, most notably OY.

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Another form of currency were small spearpoints, these of course had a very utilitarian purpose for anybody during that time and as such they possibly were used as a form of money in trade. The number of them found in archaeological digs in Ukraine suggests that perhaps they were also used as a primitive form of money. The smaller of these two points is 18mm long, the larger of the two is 22mm long. They appear to have been cast in some form of a mold, then any spurs etc. were filed off during the manufacturing process. The longer of the two appears to have been filed for smooth edges, whilst the other one is a bit more aerodynamic.

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Beginning ca. 400 BC Olbia began minting coinage in the more traditional form familiar to the rest of the world, this being an AE20 with the horned head of the river god, Borysthenes. Olbia was situated on what is now the Dnipro(Ua) or Dnepr(Ru) river in Ukraine. The reverse of the coin has a battle axe and a bow in case, and the legend Olbio in Greek.

 

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Chersonesos - Kherson

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Early in the millenium prior to the birth of Christ Greek settlers and traders settled in the region of the Crimean Peninsula in what is now southern Crimea. In approximately 700 BCE the city of Kherson was settled. Within a couple of decades coinage began to be issued, in concert with many of the Greek city states which were in the nascent stages of coinage issues.

This hemidrachm from Khersonesos was issued from ca 480-350 BCE. The obverse of the coin has the forepart of a Lion facing to the rear. The reverses of these coins have a variety of emblematic devices or even Greek characters. I like this piece in particular because of my interest in Bee coins, curiously it is believed that settlers from Ephesos in Ionia may have settled in Khersonesos, which would tie in with the Bee so emblematic on the coinage of that particular city state. These coins have also been found with rather attractive looking Geckos on the reverses, in addition to birds and assorted other fauna.

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Another example, this one has an obverse that was carelessly struck off of centre of the die. The reverse is very deeply struck, with a dot and a sheaf of wheat. It is known that grains were cultivated even during that time, and that wheat etc was exported to the rest of the known Greek world.

 

Pantikapeum

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The city state of Pantikapeum was quite possibly founded by Greeks from Miletos in Asia Minor, they possibly settled the Cimmerian Bosporus beginning in the 7th century BC. This city is located roughly near modern Kerch in Ukraine. Coinage with the satyr, Pan and the bull reverse with the legend PAN was issued beginning in the 3rd century BC.

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A similar example with a curious feature of having a spur which was subsequently pushed back into the flan of the coin, this piece is also slightly off of centre.

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This AE20 from ca. 300-180 BC portrays an image of Dionysus wreathed in ivy facing right, and a thyrus leaning against a ceremonial tripod on the reverse with the legend Pantika in Greek.

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This coin was issued ca. 250 BC and has the then typical ceremonial tripod stand which was common on coinage from this region. Curiously the reverse has an eight pointed star with the legend Pantika interposed betwixt the points of the star. This coin is rather similar in appearance to contemporary Alexander Jannaeus Prutahs from the Judean Kingdom.

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Tyra

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Tyra is in the SE corner of what is now Ukraine - near the city of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, and is one of the oldest known continously occupied cities in the world. It is believed that the original settlement of the area at the mouth of the Dnestr river began in the 6th century BC, it's prominence at the end of the river where it empties into the Black Sea gives it an advantage in trade. Coins from Tyra date into the 3rd century BC, but curiously they are difficult to find as they are never found in any quantity. As the Roman Empire expanded eastward and absorbed Thrace their client states in the region began minting coins in the names of the Roman Emperors.

This coin was minted in the reign of Antoninus Pius(138-161 AD) and bears his portrait and name. The reverse of the coin has Hercules standing with a club and lion skin and the legend "TYPANWN" for the city name. Even during the Roman era there doesn't appear to have been a large output of coinage from Tyra, and this example is only the third one I have seen in ten years of searching for one.

The city of Bilhorod-Dnestrovskyi is one of those places that has changed hands many many times over the years, it has been a part of the Greek Empire, then Roman, Byzantine Empire, the Kingdom of Bulgaria, then the Ottoman Empire, part of Moldavia in the 18th century, then absorbed into the Russian Empire, then in 1918 was awarded to Romania and became "Cetatae Alba" - literally meaning White City, then in 1940 was taken by the USSR and became a part of Ukraine. There are historical excavations going on in the vicinity of the Fortress of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi - a fortress that dates into Byzantine times.

 

Phanagoria

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Phanagoria was founded in the 6th century BC by colonists fleeing Asia Minor in the wake of the expansion of the Persian Empire. The city was located on what is now the Taman Peninsula in Russia, directly across and east from the Crimean Peninsula in what is on the Crimean peninsula of Russia. Phanagoria was a strategically located centre of trade and commerce and had a long lineage of rulers that continued to reign until ca. 108 BC when the ruler Paerisades V lost his kingdom to the Skythians.

This coin was one of the last issued under the original kingdom that flourished in that region, the King Paerisades V and is a dimunitive AE11 that has a portrait of a bearded Satyr on the obverse and a bow and arrow and the legend "ФА". In the first century Phanagoria became part of a client state of the Roman Empire under their Bosporan Kingdom.

 

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The Bosporus Kingdom

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The Bosporan Kingdom was a client state of the Roman Empire that existed in what is now southern Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula. Sauromates I succeeded his father as king in 90 AD and ruled until his death in 123 AD. This coin is a 48 nummiae, noted by the Roman numerals on the reverse of the coin. Curiously the legend on the obverse with the King's title is read from the outside of the coin and counterclockwise, a very unusual rendering of the legend.

 

Cool thread @scottishmoney ! I have a couple to add:


Cimmerian Bosporos, Pantikapaion
AE17, 4.6g, 6h; c. 325-310 BC.
Obv.: Head of Satyr left.
Rev.: Π-A-N; Head of bull left.


Cimmerian Bosporus, Pantikapaion
Æ20, 5.6g, 12h; 304-250 BC
Obv.: Head of Pan left, wreathed in ivy.
Rev.: ΠAN, Bow and arrow.

 

I have been posting this coin quite a bit recently, but its the only coin I have from the Black Sea region



May also have to re-take the picture.

 

I have a friend from Kutaisi Georgia, (in ancient times Colchis, where the golden fleece was found). However, that is more eastern Black Sea so I understand why you didn't cover their coinage.

 

someday in the far future I will want that 1 with the "Bee".

 

FANTISTIC Monies and GREAT Write-up! Well done, and very enjoyable read. I seriously considered buying an Olbian "traditional" coin just the other day!

My Olbian Dolphins...

 

My Scythian Arrowheads...

 

My Cherronesos...

 

You said you liked BEES... (My wife and I are Bee Keepers)

Iona-Ephesos AR Obol Bee - opposing stag heads 340 BCE


Iona-Ephesos AR Hemi-Drachm-TriObol Bee - Incuse Sq TIMESIANAX 335-320BCE Seaby4368

 

Yes, sometimes I will want to do a write up on Ephesian bees. Bees on coins and banknotes are a side interests of mine as is beekeeping. Someone I know showed me their apiaries awhile back and I have quite an interest in it.

 

wow really liking that second coin. as you might know ? 1 of my favorite collections are "coins with insects".

 

Congrats on the sweet OP-coins, scottishmoney ...

=> I have a few humble, yet interesting examples ...

Cimmerian Bosporus, Pantikapaion
400-300 BC



=> and here are a few slightly more recent Bosporous examples ...

Bosporian Kings, Sauromates I
Implements of Battle
98-104 AD
Super cool coin, but sadly it's been a wee bit smoothed & tooled



Bosporian Kings, Sauromates II - (SEP-SEV counter-punches)
174-210 AD



Sure, maybe they've been circulated, counter-punched, smoothed & tooled, but they're still lookin' purdy, eh?!!

 

Great thread, and thanks for all the info Scotty.
I Love Dolphins on coins and Dolphins as coins:

 

Wow cool collection there! I want to add one of those dolphins to my collection.