Ionia, Ephesos Tetartemorion Ca. 500-420 BC (No reserve price)

The Tetartemorion was a small silver coin used in the ancient Greek world, representing a quarter of a hemidrachm or one-sixteenth of a drachm. The Tetartemorion from Ephesos, dated around 500-420 BC, comes from the archaic to early classical period of ancient Greece. Ephesos was a significant Ionian city-state known for its wealth, maritime trade, and religious significance. Coins like these were crucial for smaller everyday transactions and reflect the monetary systems' complexity and regional peculiarities during this era. The iconography on such coins often incorporates local symbols tied to Ephesos' identity, including animals, mythological creatures, or deities, connecting commerce with civic identity in a tangible way.