Athens Owl and Phillip II Tet - Opinions?

[Gordo]

Hi guys,

Spotted these two lovely looking coins.  Just wondered on the experts opinion?

Have been looking at the Owl and comparing it with the fake reports and I can't tell how you guys tell most of the goodies and the baddies apart! 

Thanks for any advice,

Gordon

(Moderator note: fake reports filed for both these coins - LW)

[ember]

Hi,

They both smell bad to me.  Rotten even.

Darcy

[Nico Creces]

Hello Gordon,
I can say for sure that the athens tet is a modern fake.
How? My first topic on this board was about the same athens tet as yours. I was ripped of on ebay . In the meanwhile I saw a lot of tets (now, I own a real one), fakes and goodies.
I can't say anything for sure for the Philip II tet. But it looks also suspiciuos to me. I wouldn' t buy it.
If you want to buy such expensive coins, please look at some reputable dealers (like I did), like Forvm (https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/indexfrm.asp?vpar=54&pos=0).
Grtz,
Nico

[Nico Creces]

Below a picture of a genuine athens tet and a pic of your posted coin.
See the difference?
grtz,
Nico

[decius]

These are Antiquanova Reproductions...

Everyone should study these replicas as they are often found on eBay.

http://www.antiquanova.com/G30.htm

http://www.antiquanova.com/G36.htm

Decius

[Nico Creces]

Indeed, on the left front foot of the horse on the Philip II, you can see the S mark that is used by the Antiquanova Reproductions firm to identify their coins.
Nico

[Gordo]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies guys...

The seller is asking big bucks for the two and seems to have a clean rating (not in coins mindyou!).  Should I email him and tell him that his coins are of dubious quality?  Then again, I would never buy a high priced coin like that from ebay unless it was a reputable dealer.  Would rather stick to Forvm.

Buyer beware indeed!

Cheers,

Gordon

[Reid Goldsborough]

These are not coins of dubious quality. They're not coins at all, but as others have said, are modern replicas, specifically from the Czech replica maker Antiquanova. In the photos of these you can see faintly the S countermarks for Petr Sousek, the engraver. The Owl isn't a copy of the standarized classical Owl commonly dated c. 449-413 BC but rather the much less common Owl type that immediately preceded it and is commonly dated c. 455-449 BC (Sear 2521). The owl's tail feathers are more separated than with the later classical Owls. This Antiquanova Owl appears to be from an earlier reverse die than the one they're currently selling.

[Gordo]

Yip,

I've emailed the seller and hopefully he'll modify his advert...

For the amount he is asking, I could get a real good one from Forvm...  Why would you bother taking the risk... 

Anyway, the biggest risk I take is smuggling the coins past the wife without her noticing the credit card statement...

Could Forvm please put "Essential household goods" in their credit statements instead of "ancient coins"...  Easier to get past...

Cheers for all the help,

Gordon

[Gordo]

I've heard from the seller and he said that he had heard from someone else that they were fake but he paid $250 for the Owl and $200 for the Phillip II Tet so wanted to sell them to break even... 

Karma!

[Gordo]

Well, the seller has now changed the reserve from $300 Australian to $1 and added that he cannot guarantee authenticity... 

Maybe I'll bid $5 and see what all the fuss is about!

Thanks to all that helped.

Cheers,

Gordon

[slokind]

Sometimes I watch those CPB / Annenberg and Quisic course programs, some of which are on subjects like Marketing.  The way to recoup as much as he can on those Czech Antiquanova coins by a 'gifted engraver so inspired by the Best of Ancient Work that he signed with his initial, 'S', like, for example, Ptolemy's engraver 'D', adding that his work is characterized by a particular Charm (make 'em think of Smetana's Moldau) unique to his homeland.  We can only wonder, Who Is this S?'  In this way, if I liked the pieces, I wouldn't mind dealing with the fellow selling them.  This seller, though, flunks Marketing 101.  I hope that Czech S sponsors numismatic clubs and exhibits as Bulgaria's famous S is said to do...
Pat L.