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IONIA, Ephesos. Circa 500-420 BC. AR Diobol (10mm, 1.07 g). Lydo-Milesian standard. Bee, with forelegs, no spirals; dotted border / Quadripartite incuse square. Cf. Karwiese Series IV, Type 2 (for obv.); otherwise, unpublished in the standard references. Lightly toned, granular surfaces. VF. Extremely rare, only a handful in CoinArchives (though all mistakenly called Karweise Series VI).
This interesting diobol appears to be a hybrid type. The obverse is a match with Karweise Series IV, Type 2, but the series is defined by a reverse with the head of an eagle, and is only known from small fractions. Otherwise, it is closest to Karweise Series VI, Type 2B, which does contain diobols with plain quadripartite incuses, but this series is defined by the presence of small spirals in the upper fields, which are clearly not present here. It is most likely that this is simply a previously unknown denomination for Type IV. Since Types IV and VI are contemporary, the presence of this plain incuse type on this denomination is unsurprising.
Closing Date and Time: 1 May 2024 at 10:48:40 ET.
All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.
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