Historical Collection Catalogue

Obverse: bee with straight wings and pollen loads on hind legs; no lettering can be seen. Reverse: stag standing right; lettering = uncertain magistrate's name on the right of stag. Brown patina, light roughness. Near VF (very fine). The bee became a symbol of Ephesus as legend states the Athenians colonized the city led by the Muses, who took the form of bees. The bee and stag pictured on the coins from the city-state are symbols of the goddess Artemis. Artemis oversaw wild bees as the goddess of wild animals and the hunt.