Ancient Greek. City of Istros / Histria. c.280-256/5 BC Drachm. Two facing male heads / Sea-eagle left, grasping dolphin with talons; A below. Lightly toned, underlying lustre, weak strike on the obverse. Ex Mowbrays. With COA. HGC 3, 1803. [ 5.17g ]

The precise identity of the two youthful heads depicted on the obverse of Istros drachms remains a matter of scholarly debate. One widely held interpretation is that they represent the twin brothers Kastor and Polydeukes, the Dioskouroi (“Sons of Zeus”), famed patrons of sailors and protectors of seafarers. This would be a fitting choice for Istros, a key trading hub situated where the Danube meets the Black Sea. Yet the absence of their characteristic pilei—often shown crowned with stars—has led some scholars to question this identification.

Alternative interpretations see the paired heads as symbolic rather than mythological. Some propose that they embody the rising and setting sun, while others suggest they may represent the dual mouths of the Danube River, an image reflecting the city’s vital geographical and commercial position.

The reverse, by contrast, is far less contentious: a sea eagle grasping a dolphin. This evocative maritime motif is closely paralleled at Sinope, a major Black Sea trading center in Paphlagonia.

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