MOESIA. Istros. Circa 3rd century BC. (Bronze, 11.5 mm, 1.72 g, 10 h). Bearded head of a horned river god facing three-quarters to right. Rev. ΙΣΤΡ Sea eagle, with closed wings, standing left on dolphin left. AMNG I, p. 167, 468. HGC 3.2, 182. SNG BM Black Sea 260. Brown surfaces, and the river-god's portrait of excellent style. Minor porosity, otherwise, very fine.

From the stock of an old Swiss dealer assembled mainly in the 1960s-1970s, with a Münzen & Medaillen ticket.

This head of a bearded river god is very reminiscent of those on the man-headed bulls found on the coinages of Neapolis and Gela, but in some ways it surpasses them. The engraver who made the dies for this coin was exceptionally able and he produced one of the finest facing heads of the god to appear on all of Greek coinage. Quite an accomplishment for a Greek city up on the Black Sea coast at the mouth of the Danube!