400BC GEMINI DIOSCURI Twins SILVER Greek Coin ISTROS

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Item: i15309 Certified Authentic Ancient Coin of: Greek City of Istros in Thrace - Silver Quarter Stater 10mm (1.26 grams) Struck 400-350 B.C. Reference: Sear 1669; B.M.C. 3.13 Two young male head facing, side by side, one upright, the other inverted. ΙΣΤΡΙH, Sea-eagle standing right, on dolphin right, which it attacks with its beak.* Numismatic Note: The curious obverse type has been variously interpreted as representing the Dioscouri (Gemini Twins), the rising and setting sun, and the supposed two branches of the river Danube (or Ister).Istros was a Milesian colony, its large output of silver coinage in the first half of the 4th Century suggests that it was a place of commercial importance. You are bidding on the exact item pictured, provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity. Castor (pronounced /ˈkæstÉTMr/ ; Latin : CastÅ�r ; Greek : Κά�ƒÏ„ωÏ� , KastÅ�r , "beaver") and Pollux ( /ˈpÉ’lÉTMks/ ; Latin : Pollūx ) or Polydeuces ( /ËŒpÉ’lɨ�ˆdjuË�siË�z/ ; Greek : Î� ο�»Ï...δ�μÏ�κ�·Ï‚ , PoludeukÄ“s , "much sweet wine") were twin brothers in Greek and Roman mythology and collectively known as the Dioskouroi . They were the sons of Leda by Tyndareus and Zeus respectively, the brothers of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra , and the half-brothers of Timandra , Phoebe , Heracles , and Philonoe . They are known collectively in Greek as the Dioscuri ( /daɪ�ˆÉ’skjÉTMraɪ/ ; Latin : Dioscūrī ; Greek : Δι�ŒÏƒκ�¿Ï...Ï�ο�1 , Dioskouroi , "sons of Zeus") and in Latin as the Gemini ( /ˈdÊ’É›mɨnaɪ/ ; "twins") or Castores ( /ˈkæstÉTMriË�z/ ). They are sometimes also termed the Tyndaridae or Tyndarids ( /tɪnˈdÉ›rɨdiË�/ or /ˈtɪndÉTMrɪdz/ ; Τ�...νδαÏ�ίδαι, Tundaridai ), later seen as a reference to their father and stepfather Tyndareus .In the myth the twins shared the same mother but had different fathers which meant that Pollux was immortal and Castor was mortal. When Castor died, Pollux asked Zeus to let him share his own immortality with his twin to keep them together and they were transformed into the Gemini constellation . The pair were regarded as the patrons of sailors, to whom they appeared as St. Elmo's fire .Ancient Histria or Istros (ΙστÏ�ι�·, Thracian river god , Danube), was a Greek colony or polis (Ï€ολιÏ‚, city) on the Black Sea coast, established by Milesian settlers to trade with the native Getae . It became the first Greek town on the present day Romanian territory. Scymnus of Chios (ca 110 BC), the Greek geographer and poet, dated it to 630 BC. Eusebius of Caesarea , some centuries later, dated its founding to 657 – 656 BC, at the time of the 33rd Olympic Games . The earliest documented currency on Romanian territory was an 8- gram silver drachma , issued in Histria in the year 480 BC.Ancient towns and colonies in Dobruja (modern coastline shown).Archaeological evidence seems to confirm that all trade with the interior followed the foundation of Histria. Traders reached the interior via Histria and the Danube valley, demonstrated by finds of Attic black-figure pottery , coins, ornamental objects, an Ionian lebes and many fragments of amphoras . Amphoras have been found in great quantity at Histria, some imported but some local. Local pottery was produced following establishment of the colony and certainly before mid-6th century. During the archaic and classical periods, when Histria flourished, it was situated near fertile arable land. It served as a port of trade soon after its establishment, with fishing and agriculture as additional sources of income. By 100 AD, however, fishing was almost the sole remaining source of Istrian revenue.Around 30 AD, Histria became a Roman town. During the Roman period from the 1st to 3rd centuries AD, temples were built for the Roman gods, besides a public bath and houses for the wealthy. Altogether, it was in continuous existence for some 14 centuries, starting with ... read more

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