★ Apollo the physician' ★

THRACE. Apollonia Pontika. 2nd century BC. AE (Bronze, 24 mm, 6.87 g, 12 h). Laureate head of Apollo to right. Rev. AΠΟΛΛΩNO[Σ] / IATPOY Apollo standing front, head to left, holding laurel tree with his right hand and bow and two arrows in his left; on the tree, small bird seated right. HGC 3, -, cf. 1338 (differing legends and with a magistrate name). Leu Web Auction 15 (2021), 103. Löbbecke, ZfN 15 (1887), 38. Very rare. Very fine.

From a European collection, formed before 2005.

An interesting minor detail about this coin is the small bird that is sitting on the laurel tree, likely Apollo's raven. The legend, on the other hand, translates as 'Apollo the physician' and relates to the god's role as an ancient healing deity, which he passed on to his son Asklepios through Cheiron, the Centaur.