153, Lot: 139. Estimate $150. Sold for $135. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CARIA, Heraclaea Salbace. Circa 3rd century AD. Æ 22mm (5.39 g). Laureate, veiled and draped bust of Boule right / Aesclepius seated left, pointing to a serpent coiled around an omphalos and holding a curved object by his side. SNG Copenhagen -, but cf. 393 (same reverse die, different obverse); SNG von Aulock -, but cf. 2544 (same reverse die, different obverse); BMC p. 116, 5-6. VF, olive grey-green patina, slightly granular surfaces.

A problematic coin. Aesclepius is rarely shown as a seated figure, and all depictions of him as such copy the statue from his temple at Epidauros, which this clearly is not. The seated figure might be taken as Serapis, but he does not wear the kalathos, and in any case the Aesclepius / Serpent and omphalos connection is seen on bronze coins of Pergamon (cf. SNG von Aulock 1372). The curved object in his left hand, resembling a bow, is unexplained.