Q: What can you tell me about the coins from Istros?

Istros is considered by most experts to be the oldest Greek settlement on the Black Sea.  Founded around 630 B.C. by Greek merchants, it prospered as a commercial settlement for eight centuries.  Greek traders delivered olive oil and wine in exchange for honey, cereals, wax, and salted fish with the local Gatae population.  The varieties of coins surviving suggest that this was a very important trade center.

Coinage began in the 5th century B.C., with the facing inverted male head design appearing around 400 B.C.  Many guesses have developed over the unusual tete-beche design.  Some think that it represents the two branches of the Danube River , which flows both north and south, while others feel that it is a representation of the rising and setting sun.  The most popular explanation is that it shows Castor and Pollux, mythological heroes of Greek literature.  Known by the Romans as the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux are astrologically known as Gemini, or the twins.  The half-brothers had the same mother, Leda, but Castor`s father was the king of Sparta while Pollux`s father was Zeus.  Because Zeus was his father, Pollux was immortal.  When his brother was killed by his cousin, Pollux mourned his brothers death so much that Zeus placed them together in the heavens side by side. The stars Castor and Pollux in the constellation Gemini are two of the most prominent and recognized in the heavens.

Both Castor and Pollux were Argonauts who joined Jason in the search for the golden fleece. They are considered patrons of seafarers.