Dolphin Money of Olbia – 5th Century BC
This collection features authentic bronze proto-money cast in the form of dolphins, produced by the ancient Greek colony of Olbia on the Black Sea coast (modern Ukraine) during the 5th century BC. Each piece is presented in a premium black collector’s box.
Technical Details:
Format: Black box presentation
Material: Bronze
Date: 5th century BC (circa 500–400 BC)
Note: Each dolphin is unique, with individual variations in casting and wear
Historical Significance:
Unlike the familiar round coins minted by most Greek city-states, the people of Olbia struck a different course—literally. They created bottle-nosed dolphin–shaped bronze tokens, a form of proto-money that circulated locally as currency.
The choice of the dolphin was no accident. In Greek religion and mythology, dolphins (delphinus) were sacred creatures associated with the gods—linked to Apollo, protector of sailors, and to Poseidon, lord of the sea. By casting their currency in this symbolic form, the Olbians wove faith and economy together, making each piece both a medium of exchange and a religious emblem.
These curious objects represent a transitional phase in monetary history: a step between raw commodity money and the standardized coinage that would soon dominate the ancient world. Crude yet evocative, each dolphin is a one-of-a-kind artifact, hand-cast and shaped by artisans nearly 2,500 years ago.
Holding one is to hold both the spiritual and economic lifeblood of a Greek colony at the edge of the known world, where commerce, myth, and craftsmanship merged into one of the most unusual currencies of antiquity.
Dolphin Money of Olbia – 5th Century BC
This collection features authentic bronze proto-money cast in the form of dolphins, produced by the ancient Greek colony of Olbia on the Black Sea coast (modern Ukraine) during the 5th century BC. Each piece is presented in a premium black collector’s box.
Technical Details:
Format: Black box presentation
Material: Bronze
Date: 5th century BC (circa 500–400 BC)
Note: Each dolphin is unique, with individual variations in casting and wear
Historical Significance:
Unlike the familiar round coins minted by most Greek city-states, the people of Olbia struck a different course—literally. They created bottle-nosed dolphin–shaped bronze tokens, a form of proto-money that circulated locally as currency.
The choice of the dolphin was no accident. In Greek religion and mythology, dolphins (delphinus) were sacred creatures associated with the gods—linked to Apollo, protector of sailors, and to Poseidon, lord of the sea. By casting their currency in this symbolic form, the Olbians wove faith and economy together, making each piece both a medium of exchange and a religious emblem.
These curious objects represent a transitional phase in monetary history: a step between raw commodity money and the standardized coinage that would soon dominate the ancient world. Crude yet evocative, each dolphin is a one-of-a-kind artifact, hand-cast and shaped by artisans nearly 2,500 years ago.
Holding one is to hold both the spiritual and economic lifeblood of a Greek colony at the edge of the known world, where commerce, myth, and craftsmanship merged into one of the most unusual currencies of antiquity.
