★ Extremely Rare; one of very few known examples! ★

Ionia, Phokaia. EL Hekte, 2.55 g 11.07 mm. 4th century BC.
Obv: Cicada; seal to right.
Rev: Quadripartite incuse square.
Ref: Bodenstedt 55. Gemini Auction XIII, Lot 67 ( 15.000 $); Roma Auction 14, Lot 158 (7.000 GBP).
Extremely Rare; one of very few known examples.

The cicada (τέττιξ), a creature known for its regenerative properties and relationship to the earth is a potent symbol of autochthony in the Classical World. After being conceived in the soil, the cicada emerges from the earth, literally born from it and perhaps reminding Athenians of their own earthborn ancestor, Erichthonios (cf. Suda Encyclopedia, tau.378). Cicadas embodied a multiplicity of meanings and symbols: they were said to be immortal and given to ecstasy, were often eaten as a medicinal diet, and were symbolic of song (H. Hoffmann, 1997. Sotades: Symbols of Immortality on Greek Vases, Oxford, 116).

Krobylos is the name of a famous ancient Ionian hairstyle worn by a grown man and accompanied by a ‘golden cicada pin’. Thucydides mentions these golden cicada hairpins in his depiction of the sumptuous Ionic garb as an integral part of the ‘luxury lifestyle’ practiced by the Archaic Athenian elite (1.6.3). Ancient Athenians wore golden cicadas in their hair because cicadas were musical and sacred to Apollo (Aristophanes, Clouds, 984).

Anatolian religious traditions remained embedded in the major cults of Ionia and the ‘natives’ seem to have made some contributions to Greek music. It is understood that the cicada depicted on Phocaean coins refers to the autochthony and luxury lifestyle as well as the famous Ionian music and the cult of Apollo.

Described by Pactolus Numismatic Academy (PNA)