Nomos 37

MOESIA. Istros. Circa 425/410-380/350 BC. Drachm (Silver, 18 mm, 4.52 g, 12 h). Two facing male heads, shown tête-bêche, with the left head inverted. Rev. ΙΣΤΡΙΗ Sea eagle standing to left on a dolphin, with his head lowered towards the dolphin's head; below, N. AMNG I -. HGC 3.2, 1800. SNG BM Black Sea - (but cf. 225-236 for examples with different controls). Very sharp, well centered and attractively toned. Fine style. Some very minor surface roughness, otherwise, good extremely fine.

Can an eagle actually catch and carry a dolphin? On this coin type we see a very large eagle perched on what appears to be a swimming, and very small, dolphin, with its beak turned down to tear at it. The dolphin on the coin is surely the Black Sea bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus ponticus) and, frankly, no eagle is able to carry one of those! Could this actually represent an eagle tearing at a dead dolphin washed up on the shores of the Black Sea? Such scenes are known from nature in modern times, so, perhaps, what is shown on the coin, an in other ancient representations, was made using a kind of artistic license!