Owner Comments:
This coin was minted in Ephesus, the ancient city once part of the Ionian League. Well, it wasn’t exactly minted there, or, rather, the city wasn't that particular Ephesus.
After the Ionian League was founded in mid-7th century BC, Ephesus and the surrounding lands would be subjugated by some of the world’s greatest military commanders: King Croesus of Lydia, Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid Empire, and, of course, Alexander the Great of Macedon. After the latter’s death, it was his general Lysimachus’ turn to control the city.
All these great conquerors —even Alexander — paled in comparison to Ephesus’ next invader: the mosquito. The city harbor had become clogged with silt, creating marshes that bred malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Lysimachus had a brilliant solution: move the city to a nearby location. Building commenced of a brand new Ephesus, complete with streets intersecting at right angles, central squares, and marble-pillared public buildings, all enclosed by miles of ten-foot thick walls. There was also an acoustically impressive theatre carved into the side of Mount Pion with tens of thousands seating capacity.
The New Ephesus became the most densely populated Anatolian city. By the 2nd century BC, it was ruled by Pergamon. In 133 BC, when Pergamon’s King Attalus III died without an heir, he bequeathed his kingdom to the Roman Republic. This included Ephesus, which became the capital of the Asia Province.
This cistophorus was minted in Ephesus about a year later. Even though the city was now under Roman Republic rule, the Pergamon cistophori was still being used, and their production continued for some time (see comments for the Phrygia cistophorus in this set).
Ephesus was not only a principal economic hub, but also an important religious center as well. From the Temple of Artemis (listed as one of the seven wonders of the world) to the first Christian world church (dedicated to the Virgin Mary), Ephesus ecumenical tastes changed along with the times.
With such a rich history, the list of men and women who came to Ephesus reads like an ancient world’s who’s who: Alexander, Hannibal, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, St. Paul and the Virgin Mary, just to name a few. Today, the ruins of Ephesus represent one of the largest open-air museums in the world, and the people are still coming, only now in the form of tourists, millions of them per year.
Coin Details: IONIA, EPHESUS, after c. 133 BC, AR Cistophorus (12.69 g), NGC Grade: MS, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 5/5, Obverse: Cista mystica with serpent; all within ivy wreath, Reverse: Bow case with two serpents; EFE left, G at upper left, torch right, References: Kleiner-Noe Series 42b; SNG Copenhagen 317.