TYPE Ancient Greece, Olbia (Sarmatia), 3rd - 1st c. BC, AE24 DESCRIPTION . Obv: Bearded head of horned river-god Borysthenes (Dnieper) left Rev: Greek legend OLVIO, battle-axe and bow in case REFERENCE: SG 1685 GRADING: AVF, green-red patina ORDER INFO: G1399, $45 Ancient Olbia was situated not far from present-day Odessa in the Ukraine, between the mouths of two great rivers, Hypanis and Borysthenes (Bug and Dnieper) into the Black Sea. Themes on the coins of Olbia include both maritime (e.g. dolphins in variuos forms), and river-related ones, like the present issue honoring the great river-god Borysthenes. But, as Olbia's Milesian founders were well aware of, things do change, and in time so did Borysthenes its course, its name (to Danapris and later Dnieper), and its inhabitants' religious views.