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Lot 58. Memnon of Rhodes (?) AE, map of Ephesos hinterland (?) reverse, very rare

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Memnon of Rhodes (?) AE, map of Ephesos hinterland (?) reverse, very rare

Time left: 		Bidding closed (Sunday, February 19th, 19:29:00 CET)
Current time: Sunday, November 24th, 00:44:11 CET
Price realised: CHF 162.00 (2 bids)
Approx. EUR 174.02 / USD 181.29 / GBP 144.70
High bidder: Bidder 2

eAuction #3, Lot 58. Estimate: CHF 100.00

Ephesos, Ionia. Memnon of Rhodes? (c. 350-334 BC). AE (12 mm, 1.81 g).
Obv. The Persian Great King, bearded, in "Knielauf" to right, holding bow and spear, BA to left.
Rev. Incuse relief map of the hinterland of Ephesos (?).
Klein KM p. 51, 366; Johnston, "The Earliest Preserved Greek Map: A New Ionian Coin Type," JHS (1967), no. 1-4.

Very rare. Good fine.

The reverse of this very rare type has been interpretend by Johnston as a relief map of the hinterland of Ephesos, which, if it is, would be the earliest Greek map and first relief map known. On the right are the Tmolos and Messogis mountains between the river valleys of the Kaystros and Maiandros, to the left of which are three mountain ridges. Johnston follows Six in attributing this issue to the Persian general Memnon of Rhodes, the most skilled opponent of Alexander, in order to pay his army after he had captured the city.



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