IONIA, Ephesos. Circa 550-500 BC. Hemidrachm (Silver, 10mm, 1.69 g). Bee with wings going back and four legs forward. Rev. Stellate pattern within an incuse square. Karwiese Series IIIa. Rare. A very sharply struck piece, very well preserved and without a trace of the usual crystalization. Extremely fine.

Somewhat intriguingly, the way this coin was struck gives the impression that the bee’s body is adorned with two back-to-back Εs - in fact, they are the usual lines found on the thorax but displaced!