IONIAN LEAGUE. Antoninus Pius. 138-161 AD. Æ 42mm Medallion (53.69 gm). AV 
      KAI T[I] A[I] A­PI[AN]OC ANTWNEINOC EV, laureate, draped and cuirassed 
      bust right / KOINON IG POLEWN PROM [KL FRON]TWN ACIAR[C] KAI ARCI IG 
      PO-[L-EWN], Hades in galloping quadriga right, carrying Persephone; Eros 
      flying above, overturned cista mystica below horses. SNG von Aulock 7812; 
      J.U. Gillespie, "KOINON IG POLEWN: A Study of the Coinage of the Ionian 
      League," RBN CII (1956), 4 (same dies); J.U. Gillespie, "KOINON IG POLEWN: 
      Addendum," RBN CV (1959), pg. 212, fig. 1 = Lucien de Hirsch 1497 (same 
      obverse die); BMC Ionia pg. 16, 1; Cornell 104 (this coin). Near VF, green 
      encrustation over dark brown patina. Extremely rare - the seventh known 
      specimen. ($6000) From the David Simpson Collection. Ex Bank Leu Auktion 
      10 (29 May 1974), lot 171. The Ionian League began as a military alliance 
      between the cities of Ephesos, Erythrai, Klazomenai, Kolophon, Lebedos, 
      Miletos, Mios, Phokaia, Priene, Tios, Chios, and Samos around 700 BC, and 
      it subsequently accepted the membership of Smyrna. The military character 
      of the league soon faded, but the member cities remained in a religious 
      compact. They dedicated a temple near Priene to Poseidon Helikonios, and 
      the cities there celebrated a festival called the Panionia. The league was 
      still in existence during late Roman times. (NEW PARAGRAPH) The reverse of 
      this coin depicts the rape of Persephone. Hades fell in love with 
      Persephone and asked Zeus for permission to marry her. Zeus feared to 
      offend his eldest brother by a downright refusal, but knew also that 
      Demeter would not forgive him if Persephone were committed to the 
      underworld. Zeus "therefore answered politically that he could neither 
      give nor withhold his consent." This emboldened Hades to abduct Persephone 
      as she was picking flowers in a meadow and carry her away in his 
      horse-drawn chariot to the underworld as depicted on the Alexandrian coin 
      type.


Triton V Sale, 16 Jan 2002, lot 1723.

By permission of CNG, www.cngcoins.com.