Goddess Artemis Ancient Bee Stag Greece Asia Ephesus Tetradrachm coin jewelry handmade solid gold

Ancient art bee coin pendant solid gold
13 mm
0,51 inches

The bee was one of the symbols of ARTEMIS a goddess associated with nature and hunting The elegant bees of Ephesus makes for fine numismatic coins that enjoy privileged positions in auctions today

The bee, stag, and palm are all emblems of Ephesus, a Greek city on the west coast of Turkey. This city was an important center of worship for the Greek goddess Artemis, and the images on Ephesian coinage typically promote this association. The bee was originally the symbol of an early Anatolian goddess who the Greeks later identified with their goddess, Artemis; so close was the connection that the priestesses of the goddess were called “honey bees.” The two Greek letters, Ε (‘epsilon’) and Φ (‘phi’), are an abbreviation for Ephesus. The palm tree alludes to Artemis’ birth beneath a palm tree on the island of Delos. The stag – an animal sacred to Artemis – symbolizes the goddess’ role as protector of wild animals, and may also refer to the sculptures that flanked her cult statue in the temple at Ephesus.

The inscription on the reverse names a man, Karnops, who was one of the magistrates responsible for supervising the Ephesian mint. In 1978, the so-called Pixodarus Hoard of approximately 2600 silver coins was discovered in Bodrum, Turkey, the site of ancient Halicarnassus. It contained 600 tetradrachms of Ephesus, including 138 different obverse dies, and records the names of over 200 magistrates, thus allowing for precise dating of the series: Karnops is associated with two separate obverse dies belonging to the earliest group of coins contained within the hoard. The shape of the bee’s wings, with straight sides and curved inner tip, the large stag, and the comparatively small palm tree seen on the Getty example are also characteristic of this series, although we cannot say whether the Getty coin also came from the hoard.

Handmade in our goldsmith workshop in the historical center of Athens, with attention to detail and passion for craftsmanship.

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