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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;AncientJoe, post: 2171058, member: 44357&quot;]My stags are from the famous set of coins issued by Phanes, a 1/24th stater and a 1/48th stater (these coins are <i>small</i>):</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y342/AncientJoe/Ephesus_zps4nat5up4.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y342/AncientJoe/48_zpsiuuswrxh.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>During the excavation of the famous Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (present day Turkey near the Black Sea), a group of coins was found which are thought to comprise its “foundation deposit”, a custom that supposedly prevented the building from falling into ruin.</p><p><br /></p><p>The largest type in the group, a stater, had an inscription stating, “I am the badge of Phanes”. As the earliest coinage was believed to be made by private citizens outside of government control, it is speculated that Phanes was a wealthy merchant who guaranteed the coin value with his name, although his life is otherwise lost to history.</p><p><br /></p><p>Trites of the same type also bear the name of Phanes, making this the earliest use of an inscription on a coin. Due to space constraints, the smaller denominations are without any inscription. They are instead identified stylistically by the same spotted stag, shown grazing on the stater and with a turned head on the fractional coins. The stag allows this coin to be further attributed to Ephesus as Artemis, the patron goddess of the city, chose the stag as her sacred animal.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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