Olbio museum

Today I have found this thread. And because I have a certain addiction to the Greek cities at the Northern Black Sea coast I want to share some coins which are seldom seen:

(1)
Sarmatia, Olbia, Severus Alexander, AD 222-235
AE 23, 7.24g
obv. AVT K M AVP CEOVAΛEZAN - ΔPOC (AV and VA ligate)
laureate head r.
rev. OΛ[BIOΠOΛ]ITΩN
Eagle with spread wings, stg. facing on thunderbolt, head l., wreath in beak.
I between legs, Δ r. beside head
ref. SNG Copenhagen 114; SNG Stancomb 949-50; Zograph pl.34, 19
Rare, VF+, excentric struck on rev.


Note:
(1) M&M calls the I between legs an altar!
(2) The rev. depiction is one of the reasons that the so-called Koson-Stater has been struck in Olbia.

This is one of te last coins of Olbia! After the death of Severus Alexander the coinage ended, and the final decline of Olbia began. The 2nd Gothic Storm in AD 269/70 finally sealed the fate of the city. This was the end of Olbia, the Happy, after nearly thousand years of history at the border of ancient civilization.

(2)
Sarmatia, Tyras, Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161
AE 16, 2.54g
obv. AVT ANTONINON [CEB]
laureate head r.
rev. [T]YPA - N - ΩN
Herakles, nude, stg. frontal, head r, resting with r. hand on club, holding lion's skin over outstretched l. arm and apples of the Hesperids in l. hand.
ref. SNG Copenhagen 117; AMNG I/1, pl.XII, 25; RPC IV Online 3672 (temp.)
rare, about VF, dark green patina


Note:
ANTONINON in rare accusative case!

Tyras was a Milesian colony at the mouth of the river Tyras today river Dnister/Ukraina, russ. Dnjestr) at the Northern Black Sea coast.

Best regards

 

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AV Stater ND Olbia Mint
Koson (Kotison)? King of Scythia

 

There are 2 different types of the Koson Stater:

(1) with monogram BR before the togati, RPC 1701aA
Struck of refined Roman gold, probably under Brutus, fine style

(2) without monogram before the togati, RPC 1701B
Struck of Gold found in Dacian rivers, after the death of Brutus, crude style


The fact that the 2nd coin has been struck of natural gold is a strong argument for the theory that the 1st type was struck for Brutus, and the missing BR monogram is a strong argument for the theory that the 2nd type has been struck after the death of Brutus.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Koson

Best regards

 

Jochen thank you very much! Very interesting info. I think that OLBIA mint origin for this staters is a mistake for sure.

 

Since Olbia is back in rotation, I thought I'd share a countermarked coin from there. I got a great deal of attribution help for this one from the eBay underbidder on this - he was very knowledgeable about Olbia coinage, although the countermark is still a bit of a mystery to me:





Thrace, Olbia Æ 18
(c. 160-150 B.C.)
Laureate head of Apollo right / Lyre; OΛBO / B-A /
[EI]-Rho-H monogram.
SNG BM Black Sea 633-6; Frolova & Abramzon 1917-23;
Anokhin 500 var. (rev. letters).
Countermark: Helmeted head in 4 x 6 mm oval.
(4.30 grams / 18 mm)