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Ephesos, Ionia350-288 BC
AE12 (2.09g)
O: Bee with straight wings, seen from above; E - Φ on either side.
R: Stag kneeling left, looking back; astragalos above.
SNG Cop 245v; Sear 4402v; BMC 14,55
ex Jack H. BeymerEnodia
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Ephesus, Ionia280-258 BC
AE19 (19mm, 4.51g)
O: Bee with spread wings, E - Φ to either side, all within wreath.
R: Stag grazing right, quiver above; ΕΥΠΟΛΙΣ in ex.
cf SNG Cop 268; cf SNG München 60; Sear 4406
ex Kölner Münzkabinett
Enodia
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Ephesus, Ionia390-320 BC
AR Diobol (10mm, 1.02g)
O: Bee with straight wings, within dotted border.
R: Confronted heads of two stags; EΦ above.
SNG Cop 242-43; SNG von Aulock 1835; SNG München 32; Sear 4375v; BMC Ionia 53, 53;
ex Forvm Ancient Coins
The bee was sacred to the goddess Artemis, whose famous sanctuary at Ephesus was tended by Her priestesses, known collectively as Melissae, a word which translates as ‘bee’, or by some accounts ‘honey gatherer’. It is no surprise then that the coins of this city should feature the bee on their obverse.
Enodia
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Ephesus, Ionia500-420 BC
AR Diobol (11mm, 1.06g)
O: Bee with curved wings and volute-shaped antennae; E - Φ flanking.
R: Quadripartite incuse square.
SNG Kayhan 125; Sear 3517v (Drachm)
ex Tom Vossen
Enodia
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Gambrion, Mysiacirca 350 BC
AE15 (4.13g)
O: Laureate head of Apollo right.
R: Large 16-rayed star.
SNG Cop 146; Sear 3871v; BMC 15, 62
ex Jack H. BeymerEnodia
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Klazomenai, IoniaLate 4th century BC
AE12 (12mm, 1.79g)
O: Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with olive leaves, and triple pendant earring.
R: Head of ram to right; KΛΑ below.
Sear 4322
ex JAZ Numismatics
Enodia
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Kyzikos, Mysia480-450 BC
AR Hemiobol (9mm, 0.34g)
O: Forepart of running boar left; tunny fish upwards behind.
R: Head of roaring lion left, star above, all within incuse square.
SNG Cop 49; Sear 3850v; BMC 15,35
ex Tom CederlindEnodia
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Kyzikos, MysiaCirca 3rd century BC
AE 11 (11mm, 1.16g)
O: Head of Persephone Soteira right, hair in sakkos.
R: Tripod between KY-ZI; tunny below.
SNG Cop 56; SNG France 429-430; Sear 3862
ex David Conners
Although traditionally attributed as Kore Soteira, in my opinion this should more correctly be Persephone Soteira. The epithet Soteira (or ‘Savior’) refers to the Goddess’ role as the bringer of Spring and the return of life-giving crops. As this return must necessarily occur after Her abduction She is no longer Maiden (Kore) but rather Persephone, Queen of the Underworld and consort of Hades.
Enodia
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Kyzikos, Mysia2nd-1st century BC
AE19 (19mm, 5.42g)
O: Head of Persephone right, wearing wreath of grain.
R: KY-ZI above and below monogram, all within oak wreath.
Sear 3864; BMC 148
ex Wayne Philips; ex Ancient Imports
Persephone
I saw a tender maiden plucking flowers
Once, long ago, in the bright morning hours;
And then from heaven I saw a sudden cloud
Fall swift and dark, and heard her cry aloud.
Again I looked, but from my open door
My anxious eyes espied the maid no more;
The cloud had vanished, bearing her away
To underlands beyond the smiling day.
(From a fragment by Sappho)
Enodia
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Lampsakos, Mysia390-330 BC
AR Trihemiobol (10mm, 1.32g)
O: Janiform female head, wearing tainia and earring.
R: Head of Athena right, wearing Corinthian helmet.
SNG France 1195; Sear 3893; BMC 15 83,43Enodia
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Miletos, Ioniacirca 525 BC
AR Twelth Stater (Diobol?) (9mm, 1.11g)
O: Head of roaring lion left.
R: Star ornament within incuse square.
SNG Cop 944v; Grose 8210; Sear 3533; BMC 14 186,34 Enodia
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Samos, Ionia400-365 BC
AR Obol (8mm, 0.54g)
O: Lion scalp facing.
R: Forepart of bull right.
SNG Klein 492; Sear 4650
ex Andre CichosEnodia
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Smyrna, Ionia75-50 BC
AE21 (21mm, 7.33g)
O: Laureate head of Apollo right, within laurel wreath.
R: Homer seated left, holding scroll and staff; ΣΜYΡΝΑΙΩΝ to right.
SNG Cop 1207; Mionnet 921; Weber 6138; SNG Tuebingen 3180; BMC 116; Sear 4571v (wreath)
ex Jack H. Beymer
"Whoever obeys the gods, to him they particularly listen."
~ Homer (The Iliad)Enodia
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Soloi, Cilicia3rd-2nd Century BC
AE20 (7.12g)
O: Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet.
R: Owl standing right, head facing; Θ left, ΣOΛEΩN to right.
SNG BN 1207; SNG Levante 863-864; Sear 5622v; BMC 21 151,42
ex Jack H. Beymer
An important coastal city, Soloi may have originally been a Rhodian colony. Soloi thrived throughout the Hellenistic period, but was finally destroyed by Tigranes of Armenia during the 1st century BC.Enodia
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Soloi, CiliciaCirca 100-66 BC
Æ19 (19mm, 5.02g)
O: Turreted, veiled, and draped bust of Tyche right.
R: Filleted piloi of the Dioskouroi; stars above, ΣOΛEΩN and EΠ below.
SNG France 1206v (monogram); cf SNG Levante 866; Sear 5624v (monogram)
ex Gac Antiquity
Enodia
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Stratonikeia, Cariacirca 100 BC
AE 20 (20mm, 6.38g)
O: Lareate head of Hekate right, wearing crescent moon crown.
R: Nike advancing right, holding palm and wreath; ΣTPATO above, [NIK]EΩN below.
cf SNG Cop 489; cf Sear 4942; BMC 151,31
Scarce
ex Aegean Numismatics
Stratonikeia was located in SW Asia Minor, about 11km from Lagina, the largest known sanctuary of the goddess Hekate, "whom Zeus honored above all others" (Hesiod). It is likely that the cult of Hekate originated in this area a millennium or more before Her introduction into Greek religion at the conclusion of the Titanomachy, the legendary battle between the Titans and Olympians.
During an annual ritual the Priestess would lead a procession from the polis to Lagina where she would open the sanctuary with a sacred key. This key would eventually become one of the attributes depicted on later images of Hekate.Enodia
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Stratonikeia, Caria140-80 BC
AR Hemidrachm (13mm 0.90g)
Pamphilos magistrate
O: Laureate head of Hekate right, hair rolled and wearing a cresent moon headband.
R: Nike advancing right, holding palm frond and wreath; ΠAMΦIΛOC (magistrate) above, all within incuse square.
SNG Helsinki 253
ex Tom Vossen
"Lord Helios and the sacred flame,
weapon of Hekate Enodia,
which She bears when leading in Olympos
and in Her haunts by the sacred three-ways on Earth,
crowning Herself with oak leaves
and twisting coils of wild serpents."
~ Sophokles
Enodia
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Tarsos, CiliciaAutonomous issue
164-27 BC
AE21 (21mm, 7.39g)
O: Turreted, veiled, draped bust of Tyche right, within dotted border.
R: Pyre of Sandon in the form of a pyramidal structure, containing figure of Sandon standing on a horned and winged lion, surmounting garlanded square basis; eagle perched on apex, M and H monograms to left, TAPΣEΩN to right.
Sear 5672
From the David Cannon Collection. ex Beast Coins
Enodia
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Teos, Ionia320-294 BC
AR Diobol (10mm, 0.92g)
Mentor magistrate.
O: Griffin seated right, with left forepaw raised.
R: Lyre; MENTΩP (magistrate) downward to right.
Kinns 95; SNG Kayhan 611v; Imhoof 126A
ex MRB Coins
Enodia
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Uncertain Mint, Lesbos500-450 BC
Billion 1/10 Stater (10mm, 1.18g)
O: Two boar's heads confronted, creating the illusion of a single boar head facing.
R: Incuse square.
SNG von Aulock 7712; SNG Munchen 645; Sear 3488
ex Forvm Ancient Coins
An unusual little coin from the island of Lesbos off the coast of Asia Minor. The very inventive 6th century BC engraver of this die has created an illusion which is quite 'outside the box' for an ancient coin, as the two confronted boar's heads can also be seen as a single facing boar. And how cool is that?
Enodia
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