Hi all and happy Friday, I wanted to share a nice little Bee and Stag from Ephesus that I picked up from an awesome seller on eBay (Frascatius). It looks really nice in hand, much better than my photos would belie. The coin was listed as SNG Cop. 247, however, online search of that is a totally different coin (I don't trust the online sources). I am running into an issue reading the magistrate legend on the reverse. Any thoughts from a different set of eyes would be awesome. The first image posted is a better view of the legend through my USB scope. I think I make out "?ALHTO" Ephesus, Ionia 13.9mm, 1.91g OBV: Bee with straight wings REV: Kneeling stag, Astragalos above, ?(Magistrate) Feel free to post coins from Ephesus, or bees, or stags.
Nice coin. You are correct to be wary of online coin descriptions. I have SNG Copenhagen in hardcover. 247 has magistrate DHMOSTRATOS. Yours is SNG Cop 250, with magistrate MEGALHTWR.
Really cool coin @frankjg ! Love bees, bee & stag coin. I like your kneeling stag version...very cool. I snared a few because my wife and are beekeepers... Iona-Ephesos AR Hemi-Drachm-TriObol Bee - Incuse Sq TIMESIANAX 335-320 BCE Seaby 4368 Iona-Ephesos AR Obol Bee - opposing stag heads 340 BCE Seaby
I think they are beautiful. They are both the symbols of the supreme deities of Ephesus, Artemis, daughter of Zeus. Apparently the stag always accompanies her. As the city was colonized by the Athenians around 800 BC, over an ancient Hittite citym Muses called Melissae (bees in Greek) led them to this place. The priestesses of Artemis were thus called Melissae (Μελισσαε).
I found a tiny "Bee" bronze in an uncleaned lot, once. Actually, I think there were three of them in the lot, if I remember correctly. Alas, that was several years before I took up collecting Greek coins.
Very nice addition There are many magistrates on coins from Ephesos, and it is not that uncommon to find an unpublished one. This are my Archaic Ephesos coins: Drachm from Ionia, Ephesos circa 500-420 BC. Obverse: Bee, EΦ-[EΣI]. Reverse: quadripartite incuse square. 14mm; 3,20g Tetartemorion from Ionia, Ephesos circa 500-420 BC. Obverse: Bee Reverse: Head of Eagle right, EΦ in square 6mm; 0,20g
