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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Greek Coins| ▸ |Geographic - All Periods| ▸ |Anatolia| ▸ |Ionia| ▸ |Ephesos||View Options:  |  |  | 

Ancient Coins of Ephesos, Ionia

Ephesos, on the west coast of Anatolia, was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League. It was famous for its Temple of Artemis, completed around 550 B.C., one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The cult image of the Ephesian goddess has a mummy-like body with the feet placed close together, is many-breasted, and from each of her hands hangs a long fillet with tassels at the ends. At her side stands a stag raising its head to the image of the goddess. The usual symbols of this nature-goddess are the torch, stag, and the bee. Coins of Ephesos most frequently depict a bee on the obverse. The high-priest of the temple of Artemis was called the King Bee, while the virgin priestesses were called honey-bees (Melissae). Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia cited in the Book of Revelation and the Gospel of John may have been written there. The image on the right is the beautiful facade of the Celsus library at Ephesos. It was the third largest library in the Roman Empire. The interior of the library and its contents were destroyed in a fire that resulted either from an earthquake or a Gothic invasion in 262 C.E., and the facade by an earthquake in the tenth or eleventh century. It lay in ruins for centuries until the façade was re-erected by archaeologists between 1970 and 1978. Click it to see a larger image.Celsus library

Claudius, 25 January 41 - 13 October 54 A.D., Ephesos, Ionia

|Claudius|, |Claudius,| |25| |January| |41| |-| |13| |October| |54| |A.D.,| |Ephesos,| |Ionia||cistophorus|
In 30/29 B.C., the Koinon of Asia and Bithynia requested permission to honor the Augustus as a living god. "Republican" Rome despised the worship of a living man, but an outright refusal might offend their loyal allies. A cautious formula was drawn up, non-Romans could establish cults and build temples for divus Augustus jointly with dea Roma. Communitas Asiae (Community of Asia) was pro-consular Roman province comprised of Lydia, Iconia, Caria, Mysia, Phrygia, and Hellespontus.
SL113456. Silver cistophorus, RPC Online I 2221, RIC I 120 (R3, Pergamon), RSC II 3, BMCRE I 228, SRCV I 1838, NGC F, strike 5/5, surface 3/5 (2400265-002), weight 10.53 g, maximum diameter 26 mm, die axis 180o, probably Ephesos (near Selçuk, Turkey) mint, 41 - 42 A.D.; obverse TI CLAVD CAES AVG, bare head left; reverse Temple of Roma and Augustus, two columns, podium with four steps, within temple Augustus and Roma stand facing, Augustus in military garb with spear in right hand and shield in left, Fortuna crowns him with wreath in right hand and holds cornucopia in left hand, ROM ET AVG (Roma and Augustus) on entablature, COM - ASI (Communitas Asiae) across field at center; from a Virginia Collector, ex Eastern Numismatics Inc. (Garden City, NY, 17 Jan 2013, $1695); NGC| Lookup; very rare; $1700.00 (€1598.00)
 


Ephesos, Ionia (or perhaps Bargylia, Caria or Amyntas, King of Galatia), c. 2nd - 1st Century B.C.

|Ephesos|, |Ephesos,| |Ionia| |(or| |perhaps| |Bargylia,| |Caria| |or| |Amyntas,| |King| |of| |Galatia),| |c.| |2nd| |-| |1st| |Century| |B.C.||trihemiobol|
The type is most often attributed to Ephesos, but the style and denomination/weight do not strongly support any link to that city. NGC tags for the type note the origin may be Bargylia, Caria. The style certainly fits Bargylia better than Ephesos. The consignor of this coin, a professional numismatist, believes it was struck under Amyntas, King of Galatia, 37 - 25 B.C. Amyntas also issued Artemis and stag types.
GS98643. Silver trihemiobol, cf. SNG Davis 270, SNG Cop -, SNG Kayhan -, SNGvA -, BMC Galatia -, aVF, toned, light marks and scratches, weight 1.337 g, maximum diameter 12.3 mm, die axis 0o, Ephesos (near Selçuk, Turkey) mint, c. 2nd - 1st Century B.C.; obverse draped bust of Artemis right, quiver at shoulder; reverse forepart of stag right, head turned back left; extremely rare; $310.00 (€291.40)
 


Anatolia (Uncertain Mint), Mid 3rd - Mid 1st Century B.C.

|Other| |Anatolia|, |Anatolia| |(Uncertain| |Mint),| |Mid| |3rd| |-| |Mid| |1st| |Century| |B.C.||obol|
Lacking a legend, this rare issue has been attributed to Ephesos by other dealers, likely because Artemis and stag types are typical of Ephesos, and perhaps knowing more about their find context.
GS113286. Silver obol, Apparently unpublished but other specimens known from auctions; SNG Cop -; SNGvA -; SNG Kayhan -; Klein -; et al. -, aVF, reverse rough, weight 0.444 g, maximum diameter 8.4 mm, die axis 0o, probably Ephesos (near Selcuk, Turkey) mint, mid 3rd - mid 1st century B.C.; obverse bust of Artemis right, bow and quiver over shoulder; reverse forepart of stag left, head reverted; very rare; $110.00 (€103.40)
 


Geta, 209 - c. 26 December 211 A.D., Ephesos, Ionia

|Ephesos|, |Geta,| |209| |-| |c.| |26| |December| |211| |A.D.,| |Ephesos,| |Ionia||AE| |18|
At the beginning of the third century, Ephesus asked to build temples to Caracalla and Geta, brother-emperors and sworn enemies. Both agreed, but on separate temples. Caracalla allowed the honor of his to go to Ephesus' patron goddess Artemis. A new temple was to be built for Geta. After Caracalla killed Geta any sign of worship for the dead brother was eradicated.
RP112065. Bronze AE 18, Karwiese 5 553 (V1/R25), SNG Cop 429; SNG Leypold I 589; SNG Tubingen 2839; BMC Ionia p. 88, 288; Lindgren 468; SNGvA -, VF, dark patina with earthen encrustation, weight 2.806 g, maximum diameter 18.3 mm, die axis 135o, Ephesos (near Selçuk, Turkey) mint, as caesar, 198 - 209 A.D.; obverse Λ CEΠ ΓE-TAC KAI, bare-headed, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind; reverse EΦE-CIΩN, stag right; scarce; $90.00 (€84.60)
 


Ephesos, Ionia, 48 - 27 B.C.

|Ephesos|, |Ephesos,| |Ionia,| |48| |-| |27| |B.C.||AE| |24|
As the goddess of the hung, Artemis' most distinctive attributes were her bow, arrows and quiver, hounds and stags, but she was also called the torch-bearing goddess. Artemis was honored at Amphipolis with torch-races called Lampadephoria.
GB110655. Bronze AE 24, SNGvA 1870; SNG Cop 339 var. (M above); BMC Ionia p. 69, 179 var. (A above); SNG Tübingen 2800 var. (same), aF, green patina, scratches, earthen deposits, weight 7.088 g, maximum diameter 24.2 mm, die axis 0o, Ephesos (near Selçuk, Turkey) mint, 48 - 27 B.C.; obverse diademed and draped bust of Artemis right, bow and quiver on shoulder behind; reverse forepart of stag right, looking back left, flaming long torch behind, Θ above, E-Φ flanking stag's neck, ΔHMTPIOC (magistrate) below; $40.00 (€37.60)
 


Julia Titi, Augusta c. 79 - 89 A.D. Ephesos Ionia, Ancient Counterfeit

|Julia| |Titi|, |Julia| |Titi,| |Augusta| |c.| |79| |-| |89| |A.D.| |Ephesos| |Ionia,| |Ancient| |Counterfeit||cistophorus|
Julia Titi was the daughter of the Emperor Titus, and although married, she had an affair with her uncle Domitian. In 83 A.D., Domitian divorced his wife and lived openly with her. It has been said that she died because Domitian forced her to have an abortion but modern research indicates this allegation is false.
RS94294. Fouree silver plated cistophorus, cf. RIC II-1 p. 330, D848, RPC II 871, BMCRE 258 (official prototype, solid silver, very rare), F, gaps in silver plate, scratches, potentially active corrosion, weight 9.560 g, maximum diameter 25.5 mm, die axis 180o, unofficial counterfeiter's mint, 81 - 90 A.D.; obverse IVLIA AVGVSTA DIVI TITI F, draped bust right, hair in a knot in back; reverse Vesta seated left, palladium in right hand, scepter in left hand, VESTA in exergue; SOLD







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