62. Drahma Coin, Gemini type - The two faces of the Danube, Histria, 340-313 BCE, the first coin minted on the current territory of Romania, silver

Entering a new stage of development, in the 5th century BC, the first monetary workshops opened in Istria, the Greek colony issuing its own coinage around 480-475 BC. These are the well-known cast silver drachmas, considered to be the first coins on the current territory of Romania. On the obverse they have the emblem of the city, represented by an eagle above a dolphin, oriented to the left and the legend with Greek characters IΣTPI (ISTRI) naming the colony. According to the famous Romanian cultural figure Nicolae Iorga, these symbols, the sea eagle holding a dolphin in its claws, were used on coins by other Greek cities, such as Sinope - another colony of Miletus - and Olbia. On the reverse of the Istrian coins there are two adjacent human heads, one of them positioned upside down, probably representing the Dioscuri or perhaps other gods protecting the city's commerce. The silver drachmas minted in Istria had a relatively wide circulation area, especially encompassing Dobrogea, such coins also being discovered in Muntenia and Moldova. Over time, the weight of the Istrian drachma decreased, from 7-8 grams in the 5th century BC, to 5-6 grams in the 4th century BC. In addition to drachmas, other fractional silver coins with the same iconographic features were minted in Istria: hemidrachma, equal to half a drachma, quarter of a drachma, obol, equal to 1/6 of a drachma, hemiobol, equal to 1/2 of an obol or equal to 1/12 of a drachma.

Dimensions

custom d=19 mm

Description

silver

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