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Author Topic: Indian Coin or just only a piece of trash?  (Read 4239 times)

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PDP

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Indian Coin or just only a piece of trash?
« on: November 22, 2010, 10:01:36 am »
Hello,

I don't know, whether this little piece of silver is a
spin-off of a ancient coin, or maybe a really Indian
coin (Magadha ???).
Before I take it to the bin, I would be glad for a helpful opinion.
Diameter: 14 mm x 10 mm
Weight: 0,84 gramm

Thanks and best Regards
PDP
 

Offline Dino

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Re: Indian Coin or just only a piece of trash?
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2010, 10:22:15 am »
I ALMOST think I can see Athena.  Certainly cannot make out an owl on the reverse, but....

Maybe a little Athena/Owl fraction?

PDP

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Re: Indian Coin or just only a piece of trash?
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2010, 10:58:54 am »
Hello Dino,

thanks a lot for your reply.
But I'am sorry, I really can't help by ID.
I collect (and I know: it is a great word for a beginner ;-)
about 15 months, and a lot of the coins are from different
cultures (Romans, Greek, Islam, maybe indians, Parths etc.).

So I try to ID the coins the best I can, but it is no easy
work by some kind of coins like this piece of  a coin (?).

If more pictures are helpful to ID, please tell me.

Thanks for Answer
PDP
 

Offline Galaxy

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Re: Indian Coin or just only a piece of trash?
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2010, 11:34:27 am »
Dino;

That was an amazing deduction. Before I saw your outline, I saw what looked like a small piece of metal slag. Now that I've seen your outline of Athena, I think you may be on to something here. Some of the facial detail, especially the nose, is too coincidental to just be lumpy metal.

Offline Will Hooton

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Re: Indian Coin or just only a piece of trash?
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2010, 12:12:17 pm »
Sorry to be skeptical, but humans are naturally inclined to see faces in chaotic patterns. I am fairly sure numismatists see them in profile too! ;D

Will.

Btw, whatever it is, please don't bin it. Consider IF it is ancient and worked, and therefore not trash. I never throw slugs away. It will be of interest to someone.

Offline rover1.3

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Re: Indian Coin or just only a piece of trash?
« Reply #5 on: November 22, 2010, 12:30:19 pm »
I dont think Dino is seeing ghost's.
Some crucial elements on the design make's the probability of this being really an Athena to be more than plausible.
The chin,the lips,and the decorative leaves on helmet are more than enough to suggest almost certainly an Athenian styled Athena for someone who knows the type quite well.

PDP

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Re: Indian Coin or just only a piece of trash?
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2010, 01:08:37 pm »
Thanks for all replies!

But -  I, am sorry about this question - but: what means "Athena" ?
Where can I search about this online?
I will try to do my best for ID, so again:
Athena (Greek), or Indian ? What else ?

Thanks to all for reply. Please give me a little help for searching.

Best Greetings
PDP


Offline rover1.3

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Offline areich

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Re: Indian Coin or just only a piece of trash?
« Reply #8 on: November 22, 2010, 01:48:22 pm »
Andreas Reich

Offline commodus

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Re: Indian Coin or just only a piece of trash?
« Reply #9 on: November 23, 2010, 01:19:11 am »
what means "Athena" ?

Please don't take this the wrong way, but seriously?
Eric Brock (1966 - 2011)

PDP

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Re: Indian Coin or just only a piece of trash?
« Reply #10 on: November 23, 2010, 05:31:00 am »
Hello,

@ commodus: "Please don't take this the wrong way, but seriously?"
My Answer: Yes, of course!

But at first: I'am very sorry about this misunderstanding. I think, my English
knowledges seems to became very rusty by the years  ::).
And, by the way: Yes, I know "google" and I use it, too.

For explanation: I didn't ment "Athena" as it self. I was only surprised  by
the destination of a greek coin (...or a little piece of them).
The Reason: My favourite guess was a provenance by Indian coins.

So, at all: Yes, I know "Athena", but i tried to combining it with the Indian culture,
because the Greek dominion impressed the Indian culture about a lot of centuries
by the Indo-Greek Kingdom.   
But now I know, I'am wrong with my suggest. It is no "Magadha"-coin, it seems
to be a little piece of a greek coin.
Collectable or not...it doesn't matter, I will treasure it.

Sorry again for this misunderstanding, and thanks for all replies.

Best Regards
PDP

Offline commodus

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Re: Indian Coin or just only a piece of trash?
« Reply #11 on: November 24, 2010, 01:57:00 am »
 :laugh:
Please, no offense meant.
I thought you were asking what or whom Athena is.
You can surely see how, on a forum devoted to ancient coins, such a question would be surprising!

Eric Brock (1966 - 2011)

PDP

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Re: Indian Coin or just only a piece of trash?
« Reply #12 on: November 24, 2010, 04:23:49 am »
Hello,

@ commodus: No Problem at all, my mistake  ;)

This little piece - uncleaned by original - was found in Judäa.
But I still wonder, what happend with this "coin", because the
clippings looks to me like a intended work by someone.
Silver is more resistant than bronce or copper.
So, are this clippings really done by the centenaries, or was this
Athena maybe a edited ancient kind of decoration, or a talisman etc. ?
By the way, was this little silver piece maybe primary no coin ?
This is the question, I ask myself ...

Best Regards
PDP

Offline Aarmale

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Re: Indian Coin or just only a piece of trash?
« Reply #13 on: November 24, 2010, 04:36:50 pm »
This little piece - uncleaned by original - was found in Judäa.
It is very likely that this coin depicts Athena (and of this style), if it is from the Levant.  There are many imitations of this piece found all over Judaea, Samaria and Philistia especially.  Look at this crude Samarian imitation:



...And this imitation from Philistia:



-Aarmale
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היינו דאמרי אינשי: טבא חדא פילפלתא חריפתא ממלי צנא קרי

Offline areich

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Re: Indian Coin or just only a piece of trash?
« Reply #14 on: November 24, 2010, 04:44:35 pm »
I like that owl!
Andreas Reich

PDP

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Re: Indian Coin or just only a piece of trash?
« Reply #15 on: November 25, 2010, 05:22:39 am »
Hello,

@ Aarmale: Very interesting coins - thanks for your information!

So, my little cheap siver piece has a provenance at all.
So I will collect it by my small collection of greek coins.

And last, but not least: Thanks to all for your replies, and your
patience, too.

Best Regards
PDP

 

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