Istros is probably the oldest Greek colony on the Black Sea, and was founded in 657 - 656 B.C. or sometime between 630 and 620 B.C. by Milesian settlers in a strategic position near the Danube Delta. The first monetary emissions consisted of cast arrow-heads, later marked with a wheel or inscribed IST.

Proper coins were minted from the 5th century: attic standard didrachms with an incuse square reverse and cast small bronzes marked with a wheel. Later the staters suffered several weight reductions, and the incuse technique was discontinued. In parallel, Istros minted silver fractions, and after the silver issues were halted in the Lysimachos era, the city struck gold staters. Later, the city issued autonomous bronze coinage and Roman Provincial coinage.

Gemini, The Twins The mythology behind the Zodiac sign of The Twins, Gemini, helps demonstrate this (arche) typical scenario of twin-ship and the splitting up of energies. In Greek mythology there were two brothers, Pollux – Castor.

One twin was immortal – and the other twin was mortal. Pollux and Castor were the twin sons of a mortal woman Leda – however they had different fathers. Pollux was a son of the chief Olympian god Zeus, and thus Pollux was immortal and would live forever. Castor was the son of a mortal man, and he could die.

The two brothers, Pollux and Castor, took part in many adventures (i.e. they were involved in the Jason and Argonauts Golden Fleece thing). Their love for one another was legendary, and they never separated from one another. At the point of Castor's impending death in battle, Pollux asked his father, Zeus, for the permission to die along side of Castor. It was Pollux's great desire that the brothers might remain united even in death.

Instead of allowing Pollux to die, Zeus decided the two brothers would now share in the immortality of Pollux and remain together forever. However, in order for this to happen, Pollux and Castor would have to forever alternate between the light and the dark. For the rest of eternity, the brothers would spend one day on Olympus and then the next day in Hades