Drachm

Ephesos was among the earliest Greek cities to adopt coinage, drawing directly on the Lydian monetary tradition established under Croesus and his predecessors. These archaic drachms predate the Persian conquest of Ionia, which came under Cyrus around 547 BC, meaning earlier examples in this date range circulated in a city still nominally independent. The Artemision at Ephesos — one of the Seven Wonders — served as both religious center and de facto bank, and electrum and silver coins of this type were almost certainly among the deposits held there.