Tetradrachm Ancient Silver

ATTICA. Athens. NGC Choice AU 4/5 3/5 Ca. 440-404 BC. AR TETRADRACHM 061


ATTICA. Athens. NGC Choice AU 4/5 3/5 Ca. 440-404 BC. AR TETRADRACHM 061
ATTICA. Athens. NGC Choice AU 4/5 3/5 Ca. 440-404 BC. AR TETRADRACHM 061
ATTICA. Athens. NGC Choice AU 4/5 3/5 Ca. 440-404 BC. AR TETRADRACHM 061
ATTICA. Athens. NGC Choice AU 4/5 3/5 Ca. 440-404 BC. AR TETRADRACHM 061
ATTICA. Athens. NGC Choice AU 4/5 3/5 Ca. 440-404 BC. AR TETRADRACHM 061

ATTICA. Athens. NGC Choice AU 4/5 3/5 Ca. 440-404 BC. AR TETRADRACHM 061    ATTICA. Athens. NGC Choice AU 4/5 3/5 Ca. 440-404 BC. AR TETRADRACHM 061

NGC Choice AU 4/5 - 3/5 - Ca. AR tetradrachm (26mm, 17.10 gm, 8h), flan flaw. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet ornamented with three laurel leaves and vine scroll / AE, owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent moon behind, all within incuse square. Noted on the holder as possibly an imitative issue. Struck in HIGH RELIEF and very attractive.

The details on this particular example is quite remarkable. This coin exhibits remarkable preservation for such a popular issue.

This is a pleasing example of a high grade coin; not excessively expensive to own, yet representative of the. Do you know the different NGC - Economy Grading and NGC "FULL SERVICE" Grading?

Also, under economy grading, NGC does not identify any of the coins damages scratches, flan flaws, clipping, dents, bent, etc. Full grading is the ONLY NGC grading. That fully discloses the coins TRUE quality AND the ONLY service we use from NGC. And do you know what? That is the way it ought to be done!

We specialize in High Grade ancient coins that possess extraordinary Eye Appeal. And ONLY coins that are Fully Disclosed NGC Graded and Encapsulated If you are looking for the finest examples for your collection... You're at the right place. Balance anytime within 6 months.

If you decide to cancel the Lay-A-Way.. HOW MY LAY-A-WAY PLAN WORKS. I then send you an invoice for the 15%.. You ONLY pay the 15% invoice I send.

I hold the item until paid in full. YOU DO NOT KNOW ME. Party Authenticated; Graded; Certified; Dated; and, Encapsulated.

That is the way it ought be done for YOUR protection! YOU NEED TO BE PROTECTED! Because, as you may well know. Estimates as High as 50+%.

Of FAKE; COPIED; and, COUNTERFEIT ANCIENT COINS. All Coins for Sale are guaranteed 100% genuine; no fake Chinese imports here! The images we provide in our listings are of the actual item you will receive; no "bait and switch".

We are sure you will be pleased, as in most cases, the item is actuality nicer than the photos. In fact, for example, our photos of coins often do not portray them in their true beauty, as mint luster and colorful toning are not captured well.

As always, your satisfaction is guaranteed, backed by our "no hassle" 14 day return privilege. Throughout antiquity, Athena and her companion owl served Athens as city symbol and primary coin type. With a few exceptions, Athenian silver coins show a head of the goddess facing right on the obverse and an owl on the reverse. Style changed slowly from the globular coins of the 6th century to the sleek "New Style" coins that were made until replaced by Roman issues of the 1st century BC.

The man on the street anywhere in the Greek world knew that he could trust the "owl" to contain full weight of the best silver. Athens was the strongest economic force in the Greek world.

Their mines provided the Athenians with tons of fine silver so there was never a reason for them to produce bad coins. 406 BC of the Peloponnesian War (with Sparta) , Athens found itself cut off from the silver mines at Laurion. Lacking enough silver to push forward the war effort the decision was made to issue a series of silver plated (fourree) copper coins that could be redeemed after the war for the regular, good silver product. I wish I could tell you that this week's was one of those Emergency of 406 BC issues.

This series of coins has been extensively studied and dated by style so most coins can be place within a few years of their issue. To be a true coin of the emergency, an owl needs to be of a style current at that time. This example is too early.

My guess places it around 430 BC. The technology for making silver plated coins was as old as coinage itself. Few people involved in coin production would not have known how to wrap a copper core in silver foil and bond the layers with heat and the force of striking. Whether this coin was produced in the mint, on the "sly" by mint workers or by counterfeiters is similarly unclear.

It is interesting that this coin weighs 16.5g which is a acceptable weight for a full silver tetradrachm. To allow for the difference in weight of silver and copper, this flan was made slightly oversize so the coin would have the correct weight. It is possible that this excessive size may have betrayed the coin to whoever decided to cut it in search of the copper core. The smaller cut below the tail that failed to break through to the core may have been an attempt by the maker of the coin to make the coin appear to have been tested and previously passed.

Plated coins even exist with fake test cuts made as part of the die! The second cut across the body of the owl left no doubt that this coin was bad. The wide acceptance of these coins led the mint to be slow in updating the style of the artwork on the coins. The portrait of Athena continued to use the Archaic style "almond" eye long after popular art style had passed into the Classical period.

Care was taken not to do anything to hurt the acceptance of the coins. Owls exist in a wide range of denominations.

The Featured coin, a tetradrachm, is the most common size. Many tetradrachms actually saw little circulation. Daily commerce used several smaller denominations shown here at 8 X 10 mm and. 7g is an obol or 1/24th of the tetradrachm. These frequently can be found in worn condition for a fraction of the price of their large, popular and more common cousins.

Whatever the denomination, the popularity of the owls of Athens is a stronger market factor than is rarity. These tetradrachms exist in numbers far exceeding the number of collectors but demand keeps the price high. The coin is popular with non-collectors both as a curio and as jewelry. Some collectors specialize in this one type and a grouping of 1000 minor varieties would be far from complete. Many people consider the Athenian owl THE ancient coin: the most important, the most beautiful, the most historic, the one to have if you could have but one. There certainly is something appealing about the smiling goddess and her cute little owl. My State Permit number is: 10-565507255F-001.

NGC Choice AU 4/5 3/5 Ca. AR TETRADRACHM 061" is in sale since Tuesday, April 28, 2020. This item is in the category "Coins & Paper Money\Coins\ Ancient\Greek (450 BC-100 AD)".

The seller is "monticello-coins-and-autographs" and is located in Esmont, Virginia. This item can be shipped worldwide.

  1. Cleaned/Uncleaned: Uncleaned
  2. Modified Item: No
  3. Country/Region of Manufacture: Greece
  4. Certification Number: 4883819-048
  5. Certification: NGC
  6. Date: 440-404 BC
  7. Grade: Ch AU
  8. Year: 440-404 BC
  9. Composition: Silver
  10. Provenance: NGC ANCIENTS
  11. Denomination: Tetradrachm


ATTICA. Athens. NGC Choice AU 4/5 3/5 Ca. 440-404 BC. AR TETRADRACHM 061    ATTICA. Athens. NGC Choice AU 4/5 3/5 Ca. 440-404 BC. AR TETRADRACHM 061