Ira and Larry Goldberg Auctioneers
Auction 98 6-7 Jun 2017
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Attica, Athens. Silver Tetradrachm (17.20 g), ca. 454-404 BC. Helmeted head of Athena right, frontal eye. Reverse: AΘE, owl standing right, head facing; above to left, olive-spray with berry and crescent; all within incuse square. Kroll 8; Svoronos pl. 14; SNG Copenhagen 31-40. Boldly struck and perfectly centered. A superb example. All lightly toned. NGC grade Ch AU*; Strike: 5/5, Surface: 5/5. Estimate Value $2,500 - 3,000
From the Dr. Patrick Tan Collection.
The beauty afforded to this iconic coin of Classical Greece by the sharpness of the strike and its superlative state of preservation make it a real gem among the vast number of Athenian "owl" tetradrachms struck in the fifth century BC. The Athenian "owls" were produced from silver from the Laurion mines of Attica and used to fund such major enterprises as the Periklean building program, which served to beautify Athens as the capital of a naval empire and, the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) that broke out because of the fear of that empire. The "owls" were widely accepted in international trade and their types became a symbol of good money. Therefore the types remained unaltered until the introduction of the Athenian New Style coinage in c. 165 BC.
From the Dr. Patrick Tan Collection.
The beauty afforded to this iconic coin of Classical Greece by the sharpness of the strike and its superlative state of preservation make it a real gem among the vast number of Athenian "owl" tetradrachms struck in the fifth century BC. The Athenian "owls" were produced from silver from the Laurion mines of Attica and used to fund such major enterprises as the Periklean building program, which served to beautify Athens as the capital of a naval empire and, the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) that broke out because of the fear of that empire. The "owls" were widely accepted in international trade and their types became a symbol of good money. Therefore the types remained unaltered until the introduction of the Athenian New Style coinage in c. 165 BC.