EUBOIA. Histiaia. Circa 350-300 BC. Oktobol (Silver, 20 mm, 5.69 g, 12 h). Head of the nymph Histiaia to right, hair bound in sakkos, wearing wreath of grape leaves and berries and single pendant earring. Rev. IΣTI-AIEΩN Nymph seated right on stern of galley, holding stylis in her left hand and resting her right on the deck; along the outside of her right arm, in small letters, ΙΣΤΙAIA; on the side of the stern, wing. BCD Euboia 361 (same dies). HGC 4, 1521. Newell, Octobols, pl. I, 2. Traité II, 2, 201 and pl. CXCVIII, 27. Extremely rare, apparently the fifth known example. Minor marks, otherwise, nearly very fine.



The oktobols from Histiaia rank among the great rarities of Euboian coinage. In contrast to the much more common tetrobols - unfortunately also among the most frequently counterfeited of all Greek coins - the oktobol appears to have been issued only once, as part of a limited small-scale emission. Until now, just four specimens were known, representing two obverse and two reverse types. With the addition of our piece, the total rises to five.