This cointype has been on my wish list for quite a while, but I didn't actively pursue it. As most coins on my wish list, I either encounter them, or forget about them. Forgetting this type is somewhat difficult, as they are very recognizable. So when a collector I know, who's down-scaling his collection, put it online, I immediately pulled the trigger: GREECE, Anonymous. Denomination: AR Diobole, minted: Ionia, Ephesos; 387-295 BC Obv: Bee with straight wings Rev: Є Φ, ethnic in field above two stag's heads facing one another. Weight: 0.92g; Ø:9mm. Catalogue: SNG von Aulock 1835, BMC 53. Provenance: Ex. T. Nuij collection; acq.: 05-2020 One has to realize that these coins are in fact quite small - something that is easily forgotten with macro photography. "In hand", the surface is less grainy, as the small granular texture simply is not discernible with the naked eye. Please post your coins from Ephesos, or anything that was on your wish list until recently.
Gorgeous DiObol, @Roerbakmix ... very nice. Well done. Great details. I have the Obol size: Iona-Ephesos AR Obol Bee - opposing stag heads 340 BCE Seaby Ex: Holding History
That's a very nice bee – mine is a little more pedestrian, provided that this word can be used for flying critters: Ionia, Ephesos, AE13, ca. 387–280 BC. Obv: bee, ethnic E–Φ. Rev: stag l., head turned r. 13mm, 1.84g. SNG von Aulock 1838; BMC 67.
The "golden bee" was an emblem of the Merovingian Dynasty; the first line of ruling kings of what we now regard as France, proper. These were roughly the size of an actual honeybee. I recall reading that between 1-200 of these have been recovered. If you see one, you are likely gazing upon an object that was handled by a king of ancient France, who claimed lineal descent from Jesus Christ, himself. I wonder if the appearance of this image, as also seen on the above coins, conveys a coded subtext; as was not-uncommon in ancient times?
Very nice diobol! My ephesos coins: Ephesos, Ionia. Drachm (500 - 420 B.C) Obverse: Bee with curved wings, EΦEΣION. Reverse: Quadripartite incuse square Reference: BMC Ionia pg. 49, 12; SNG Copenhagen 210; SNG Kayhan 140 3.20g; 14mm Ephesos, Ionia. Tetartemorion (500 - 420 B.C) Obverse: Bee with curved wings Reverse: EΦ, eagle's head right within incuse square Reference: SNG Kayhan 126; Karwiese Series IV 0.20g; 6mm
My poor man's example of a bee EPHESOS, IONIA AE11 OBVERSE: E-F, bee REVERSE: Forepart of stag recumbent right, head left Sturck at Ephesos, ca 387-289 BC 11mm, 1.63 g SNGCop 244
I agree. My coins are better when viewed from a respectable distance, too. tetartemorion 0.2g like Pavlos' coin, it is small to have a legend even if it is just two letters. 1/192 stater (Persic standard)? as described by seller??? Bee/bird head makes this 0.1g speck my smallest coin with two designs (no incuse punch). To be view accurately it should be 20 feet away on a laptop screen. Diobols are so massive (a whole gram!). At 0.8g I call this a trihemiobol. It is not plated but was surface enriched and wear produced a strange pattern.
Thanks all! Added a few to my wish list I agree - blown up to massive proportoins, these tiny coins loose a bit of their appeal.
