Clazomenae produced some of the finest facing-head portraits in all Greek coinage, with most of them being unsigned masterpieces. One artist confidently signed his work, "Theodotos made it": he knew he had created a masterpiece. This coin is clearly from the same hand as the signed tetradrachm, just with a smaller canvas.

Apollo, the principal deity of Clazomenae, is depicted with exceptional artistry on this coin. The portrayal of his face draws notable inspiration from the Apollo heads of Amphipolis. However, the potential influence of Kimon’s Arethusa and the Helios portraits of Rhodes should not be overlooked. In keeping with the traditions of many Greek cities, the swan depicted on this coin serves as a canting type, symbolically linked to the city’s name.

The swan held profound significance in Clazomenae, both as a sacred bird of Apollo and potentially as a reference to the city’s name, which may derive from the verb klazein. This term describes the sounds associated with birds, such as the whirr of wings or their cries. The swan’s connection to both Apollo and the city’s identity made it an apt and meaningful subject for their coinage.

The naturalistic depiction of swans on Clazomenae’s coins is unparalleled in Greek numismatics. These birds are shown in various dynamic poses: sometimes with wings outstretched as they turn their necks gracefully, and other times, as on this coin, standing forward with wings raised and their necks forming an elegant S-curve. On this particular die, signed by the magistrate Apollas, the swan’s form is rendered with meticulous detail, from the texture of its feathers to the determined gaze of its eye, capturing a moment of quiet strength and poise.

Drachm circa 360, AR 4.05 g. Laureate head of Apollo facing three-quarters l., wearing chlamys secured by round brooch. Rev. AΠ – ΟΛΛΑ – Σ ??Swan standing l., with open wings; below, KΛ. ??Traité II, 1997 and pl CLV, 25. Boston 1861. Kunstrfreund 219 (this coin).

Ex Naville I, 1921, Pozzi, 2400; Ars Classica XVI, 1933, 1390 and Leu-M&M 28 May 1974, Kunstfreund, 219 sales.