Name/Title
BCE 0400 Skythia, Olbia Cast Æ Dolphin Money, AE28, ca. 5th century BCEDescription
Cast Bronze Dolphin Money
Olbia, northwestern Black Sea coast
Greek colonial issue, ca. 5th century BCE
Cast bronze / copper alloy
Approx. 28 mm, if AE28 is accurate
Weight not provided
This small cast bronze object belongs to the distinctive “dolphin money” of Olbia, a Greek colony on the northwestern Black Sea coast. Unlike most Greek coins of the Classical period, which were struck as round disks, Olbian dolphins were cast in shaped molds. Their form recalls the dolphin, an animal with strong associations in Greek maritime religion and myth, while their use places them near the boundary between coin, token, votive object, and bronze proto-money.
Olbian dolphin money is usually interpreted as a local monetary form that developed from or alongside ritual and civic exchange practices. Some examples preserve clearer dolphin features, inscriptions, or pellets; others, like this one, are more abstract because of casting, wear, corrosion, or later surface loss. The object’s elongated curved form, bronze fabric, and archaeological-numismatic type support the identification, though a precise subtype would require sharper surface detail, measurements, and weight.Create Date
April 15, 2026Update Date
May 25, 2026
