IONIA. Ephesos. Circa 202–150 BC. AR Drachm (18 mm, 3.98 g, 12h),

IONIA. Ephesos. Circa 202–150 BC. AR Drachm (18 mm, 4.00 g, 12h), Demetrios, magistrate. E–Φ, bee seen from above. Rev. ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΣ, stag standing right, palm tree behind. Kinns, Attic, p. 86; SNG Copenhagen 289; SNG von Aulock 2875. A handsome example of the celebrated civic coinage of Ephesos. The bee, long a symbol of the city’s priestesses of Artemis, appears prominently on the obverse, while the reverse shows the sacred stag beside the palm tree, both attributes of Artemis Ephesia, whose great temple was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. The addition of the magistrate’s name, here Demetrios, reflects the civic pride and administrative oversight characteristic of Hellenistic Ephesos. Struck in high relief and nicely toned, this drachm is a well-preserved representative of one of the most iconic coinages of Asia Minor.