Believe it or not, this enchantingly archaic 2,500-year-old Athenian
Owl tetradrachm is my very first ancient coin acquisition. I also stack/collect bullion and numismatic coins. The Athenian
Owl is one of the most iconic ancient
Greek coins ever minted, known to almost all coin collectors. It was the first successful international coin. It’s so famous, in fact, that this coin will also be recognized by much of the general public just as it was by the ‘hoi polloi’ of ancient
Greece. I learned how to do the professional
Owl write-up from the
FORVM coin shop’s brilliant
Owl sales write-ups for which I am extremely grateful.
Athens,
Attica,
Greece, c. 454 - 404 B.C., Old
Style Silver
Tetradrachm,
SNG Cop 31,
SNG Munchen 49,
Kroll 8,
Dewing 1611,
Gulbenkian 519,
HGC 4 1597,
SGCV I 2526, EF, excellent centring,
tight flan, bold high relief, minor marks, traces of find
patina on
reverse, small edge cracks,
weight 17.25g, maximum
diameter 23mm,
die axis 330°,
Athens mint, c. 454 - 404 B.C.;
obverse head of
Athena right, almond shaped eye, crested helmet with olive leaves and floral scroll, wire necklace, round earring, hair in parallel curves;
reverse owl standing right,
head facing, erect in posture, olive sprig and crescent left, AΘE downward on right, all within
incuse square.
