Greek Gold Stater from Magnesia ad Maeandrum

$5,053.58

An extremely fine gold stater from the Ionian city of Magnesia ad Maeandrum, dedicated to the well-known magistrate Euphemos, son of Pausanias. The obverse features the beautifully rendered draped bust of the Greek goddess Artemis portrayed in profile, facing right, wearing a stephane and with her quiver and bow over her shoulder. The reverse displays the winged goddess Nike, portrayed riding a chariot, and holding a kentron in her right hand and rains in her left hand. The reverse has been inscribed in Greek letters with MAΓNHTΩN, meaning ‘of the Magnesians’, and with EYΦHMOΣ ΠAYΣANIOY, meaning ‘Euphemos son of Pausanias’. This coin is an exceptional example of Greek numismatic art.

Date: Circa 155-145 BC
Condition: Extremely fine.

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SKU: EC1695 Category: Tag:

The stater was an ancient coin, widely used across many different regions in Ancient Greece, including Magnesia. During the second half of the 2nd century BC, Magnesia issued stephanophoric, meaning ‘wreath bearing’, silver tetradrachms, which featured to the obverse the profile of the patron of the city, the goddess Artemis, and to the reverse the god Apollo, Artemis’ brother. Such good-sized silver coins would have been dedicated to patrons or magistrates who financed the new coinage. Among those, the magistrate Euphemos held an important role in promoting the new tetradrachms, hence this beautiful gold coin can also be dated to the same period as the stephanophoric tetradrachms, between 155-145 BC. The depiction on the reverse, with Nike riding a fast chariot, might be referred to a military triumph or a victory in the games held in honour of Artemis.

Weight 8.4 g
Dimensions W 1.8 cm
Culture

Metal

Greek Mythology

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