The Origin of the Laurel

Sale: CNG 75, Lot: 810. Estimate $300.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 23 May 2007.  Sold For $600. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

BITHYNIA, Apamaea. Geta. AD 209-211. Æ 21mm (4.98 g, 12h). Laureate head right / Daphne kneeling right, head left, with hand raised; to left, laurel tree. Unpublished. VF, dark green and brown patina, slight porosity. Extremely rare.

Ex Peus 366 (29 October 2000), lot 548; Münzen und Medaillen FPL 422 (May 1980), lot 146.

The nymph Daphne, the daughter of the local river-god Peneus, attracted the unwelcome advances of Apollo. As he aggressively pursued her, Daphne, wishing to put a stop to his advances, prayed to her father to help her. Peneus transformed her on the spot into a laurel tree (Greek Dafnh). Heartbroken, Apollo declared that this tree would be special to him, and made the laurel his sacred tree.