Monolith

Ha, same! I've noticed the prices on her coins have gone up since Lucia Carbone's ANA talk on her. Have you read the Fulvia book by Schultz? I haven't yet but my wife loved it.

If your wife ever visits Delphi with you and isn't immediately entranced by the beauty of that place, then the problem is definitely with her, not you! The ruins are spectacular but staring down at that valley (ideally you'll pair it with a little snack and some wine) is one of my favorite memories of Greece. I agree with everyone that Sparta is mostly worth skipping if you're looking for ruins, but... i actually quite liked it. The ruins are minimal but they are there, and you're pretty much left entirely to yourself (although this may have changed, i was last there a decade ago). In fact, the place was so abandoned that there were looter's pits *everywhere*. Roman-era potsherds everywhere, scattered about the amphitheater and among the olive groves which now lie atop most of the ruins. Sad to see, but also interesting to see just how plentiful this material is for those of used to seeing even the most mundane artifacts locked up behind museum glass. Just don't try to take a souvenir!!

Oh and yes, that's also a good point! There are so many good fakers of coins from this region it would be nice to have a more comprehensive study...

Any suggestions for reading more about these coins? The APIX on the back seems to be an ongoing mystery, some writers claiming it's the name of a Scythian-supported tyrant as Scythia's influence expanded in the wake of Darius' unsuccessful expedition there (turning Olbia into a client), others that the letters should actually be read as an abbreviation for AP[δῐς] (arrowhead) and IX[θύς] (fish) and therefore being just a reference to the earlier proto-money that circulated (arrowheads and dolphins/fish), or perhaps a reference to the source of Olbia's wealth... still others mostly ignore the APIX (or conclude that it's just the name of a magistrate), and focus instead on the Gorgon, claiming that it's a sign that Perikles did in fact journey north and bring Olbia into the Delian League (the Gorgon being a reference to Athena's aegis/shield). Personally I think it's all overwrought and just indicative of the general East Greek (and specifically Milesian) love of the "evil eye" protophilosophy, but very interested if there are any other theories or suggestions out there!

Just got this one. Love how you can track the influence of Miletus across the Greek world just by looking for their unique iconography (various flavors of the evil eye/gorgon/panthers/etc). And man, nothing beats holding a huge coin in your hands! Has anyone attempted to "mold match" any of these large cast coins from Olbia? Supposedly molds weren't reused in antiquity, but you never know: