New data on the fish trade in the Western Pontos-Euxeinos through specially cast monetary tokens used for exchange(6th-5th century BC)

There is very scarce information regarding fishing and the fish trade for the western part of Pontos-Euxeinos during the 6th and the 5th centuries BC. Circumstantial clues mainly indicate the existence of a fish trade (salted or marinated fish). For instance, numismatic evidence of various iconographical types applied to coins minted in the Greek cities on the Black Sea shores reveal the important presence of marine symbols (for example, different types of fish). Considering the geographic positioning of Istros, these two complementary activities are strongly interconnected by the existence of fish and can be considered real specializations, probably practiced on a daily basis, not only during the archaic period, but later on as well. A monetary token of those especially casted for commercial purposes, discovered not far from the archaic area, stresses once more the probably important role played by fishing/the fish trade in Istros and the space covered by its economic interest. Sturgeon, one of the important species of the Danube and the Black Sea, is represented on this monetary token. Such items, with different symbols depicted on them, are cast in molds, during their late phase of production (as, for example, the wheel, the letter A, the hatchet, etc.), probably during the late 6th - early 5th century BC.