IONIA, Ephesus. Circa 1st-3rd centuries AD. Æ Tessera (17.5mm, 2.83 g, 1h). Good VF.

Electronic Auction 553
Lot: 279. Estimated: $ 250

Roman Provincial, Bronze

Sold For $ 350. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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IONIA, Ephesus. Circa 1st-3rd centuries AD. Æ Tessera (17.5mm, 2.83 g, 1h). Bee / Stag kneeling left, head right. Cf. SNG Copenhagen 355; cf. BMC 186; cf. SNG von Aulock 1875 (all with legend variations). Dark brown patina, light roughness, light spot of green verdigris. Good VF.

From the Aleph Collection. Ex Pecunem/Gitbud & Naumann 34 (2 August 2015), lot 620.

A number of bronze tesserae of the bee/stag type were struck at the cult center of Ephesus, likely during the 1st-3rd centuries AD, and are distinct from the widely varied lead issues from the same city. The legends on these bronzes cannot be translated and are, for the most part, meaningless mystical formulae, but are most likely related to the apotropaic and healing properties attributed to Artemis of Ephesus. (J. Obermajer, “The Tesserae of Ephesos in the History of Medicine,” in Medical History Vol. 12, No. 3 [1966], pp. 292–4).

Closing Date and Time: 3 January 2024 at 11:32:40 ET.

All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.