Triton XIX, Lot: 72. Estimate $2000. Sold for $2750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SKYTHIA, Olbia. Circa 437-410 BC. Cast Æ (68mm, 108.26 g, 1h). Facing gorgoneion / Sea eagle flying right, wings spread, holding in its talons a dolphin right; A-P-I-X around. Anokhin 168; Karyshkovskij p. 395, Таб. III=C, 2; Frolova & Abramzon 156–8; SNG BM Black Sea 383; SNG Pushkin 38–42; SNG Stancomb 343; Sutzu II 95–6. Good VF, gray-green patina, a few marks and tiny edge chips.

This series was a development in the coinage at Olbia following the expedition of Perikles to the region. During this expedition, Perikles promoted the democratic style of government, and removed aristocracies and oligarchies from power at a number of the cities, which were then brought into the Delian League. This event is reflected on the new series at Olbia in three ways. First, the name of the magistrate, who had been part of the ruling oligarchy, was removed from the coinage. Second, the obverse type was changed to a facing gorgoneion, which was emblematic of the protecting cuirass of Athena (Athens). And finally, the reverse shows a dolphin in the talons of Zeus’s eagle. This reverse type is particularly significant, as the dolphin, long a symbol of the cult of Apollo Delphinios, whose leaders were members of the oligarchy, was now depicted under the influence of Zeus, whose cult was ascendant under the democratic government, when he was known as Zeus Eleutherios (cf. Y.G. Vinogradov, Pontische Studien: Kleine Schriften zur Geschichte und Epigraphik des Schwarzmeerraumes [Mainz, 1997]: 212–5).