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Coin of the Month

Temmuz 2025: A bronze Coin from Odessos

The Coin of this Month is presented by Yana Spasova


She gazes toward the right, serene and composed, adorned with a taenia, earring, and necklace. Though her identity has faded with time, her image continues to captivate. She might represent a local goddess, embody the city of Odessos itself, or simply portray an idealized female figure symbolizing beauty, order, or civic virtue.

She gazes toward the right, serene and composed, adorned with a taenia, earring, and necklace. Though her identity has faded with time, her image continues to captivate. She might represent a local goddess, embody the city of Odessos itself, or simply portray an idealized female figure symbolizing beauty, order, or civic virtue.

The reverse side of the coin draws us into the realm of myth: a bearded god reclines in quiet majesty, a cornucopia resting in his hand, a symbol of abundance and protection, particularly fitting for a thriving port city like Odessos. Above him hovers an inverted amphora, perhaps once filled with the region’s famed wine. Another interpretation suggests that upturned vessels with liquid flowing out are symbolic of rivers and were commonly depicted being held by or placed besides, river deities. According to Lazarenko (2005), this provides a compelling basis to view the upturned amphora with flowing liquid as a river symbol, and, by extension, to identify the reclining figure as a river god. An alternative theory proposed by Pick (cited in Lazarenko, 2005) identifies the figure as Pluton or Hades, the god of the underworld. 

Despite the symbolic richness, the artistic rendering on the coin is relatively modest, with the god’s body and facial features depicted in broad, indistinct forms. As if to leave no doubt about its origins, the coin bears the inscription ΟΔΗΣΙΤΩΝ, a bold assertion of civic pride from the people of Odessos.



Literature:

Lazarenko I. 2005. Колко и кои са божествата, представени върху реверсите на одесоските монети, сечени през елинистическата епоха?, Acta Musei Varnaensis VII-I, 163-208




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