Lot 349: Ionia, Ephesus. Gallienus. A.D. 253-268. Æ.

Ionia, Ephesus. Gallienus. A.D. 253-268. Æ (20 mm, 3.75 g, 6 h). AYT K ΠO ΛIKIN ΓAΛΛIHNOC, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gallienus right / EΦECIΩN · Γ · NЄ-OKOPΩN, the philosopher Herakleitos, wearing himation, standing facing, head left, raising hand to face and holding club. SNG Copenhagen -; SNG Aulock -; BMC -; cf. Mionnet Suppl. VI, 836 (obv. legend). Extremely rare. Green patina, porosity. Nearly very fine.

Ex Gorny & Mosch 125 (13 October 2003), 312.

A native son of Ephesus, the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus (fl. ca. 550-480 B.C.) espoused that change was the fundamental essence of the universe, the sentiment of which is memorialized by his famous quote ""No man ever steps in the same river twice."" He came from the well-to-do family of the Basilids, whose seal was a knotted stick or club and which he is shown holding on this coin, and which subsequently was misunderstood as an allusion to his name.

• Offered By: Barry P. Murphy
• Lot #: 349
• Listing #: 201019
• Closed: Friday, March 17, 2017 5:56:00 PM CT
• Estimate: $200