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Triton XV Sessions 3 & 4 4 January 2012
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ATTICA, Athens. Circa 469/5-460 BC. AR Dekadrachm (30mm, 42.16 g, 10h). Head of Athena right, wearing single-pendant earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over the visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl / Owl standing facing, wings spread; olive sprig and crescent to upper left, A-Θ-E around; all within incuse square. Fischer-Bossert, Athenian –; Fischer-Bossert, More 0 (O0/R–); Starr group II.C (unlisted dies); BMC 40 = ACGC 188; SNG Berry 641; Gulbenkian 515 = Jameson 2080; Zhuyuetang 31; Hirsch 1272; Kraay & Hirmer 357 (same obv. die, but re-engraved). EF, beautifully centered and struck with virtually complete designs on both sides, some typical minor surface roughness, flan flaw on the owl. Second known example from the earliest obverse die in the dekadrachm series. An obverse of unusually graceful style.
When Dr. Wolfgang Fischer-Bossert published his standard reference The Athenian Decadrachm (New York, 2008), he placed the Berlin specimen (Fischer-Bossert 1 [O1/R1]) as the first among a total corpus of 40 specimens. Since that publication, a number of additional examples have come to light, and Fischer-Bossert published four further dekadrachms in SNR 88 (2009), including one example (now Fischer-Bossert 0 [O0/R0] = Berk BBS 166 (15 October 2009), lot 137 [also available at: http://www.penelopecoins.com/index.php?p=item&cid=1&id=220]) that apparently preceded the Berlin specimen and that he therefore identified as the earliest known Athens dekadrachm.
On close inspection, though, Fischer-Bossert's obverse die 0 is actually the same die as his obverse die 1, but at an earlier state. When comparing the Berlin specimen (see the enlargement in Kraay & Hirmer, no. 357) to the Berk coin, numerous consistent features are apparent. In particular, on the back edge of the bowl of Athena's helmet, at approximately 9 and 10 o'clock, there are two slight die flaws that are plainly visible on both coins. Also, on the Berk coin one can see that the die flaw on Athena's eye on the Berlin coin appears to have just begun forming on the top edge. Similarly, there is a die break in the curl of the vine tendril just above the ear on the Berlin piece that is in an early state on the Berk specimen. In fact, there are only two features that are not consistent between the two coins. One is the front edge of Athena's crest and visor, while the other is the lower edge of her neck-guard that appears to be slightly curved near the back on the Berlin coin. What appears to have happened is that the die was re-engraved at some point after the Berk coin was struck. The Berlin coin shows many signs of die wear, particularly the die break on Athena's eye and the "striations" that radiate outward from the front of her face. It would not be unusual for peripheral features, such as the crest and lower neck guard, to have significantly more wear that would require re-engraving that would alter their appearance. With this in mind, one can see that the two coins were therefore struck from the same die, but at different stages of its life.
The present coin is also struck from Fischer-Bossert Obverse 0, but from a different and previously unknown reverse die. As it does not have any indication of the die break on Athena's eye, this specimen appears to have been struck earlier. The reverse die on the present coin is very similar stylistically to Fischer-Bossert reverse dies 0 (the Berk coin) and 1 (the Berlin specimen), and is most probably by the same engraver. The three coins from these reverse dies also share an unusual technical feature, the softly rounded edge of the reverse incuse square (see Fischer-Bossert, SNR 88, p. 118). Fischer-Bossert suggests that this characteristic is not due to round edges on the die but rather to inexperience at the mint in the best striking method for the new large denomination.
In comparison to Fischer-Bossert 0, the present coin is better centered on a broader flan, with more complete designs and slightly less wear on the obverse high points. Like a substantial percentage of known Athens dekadrachms, the present coin has a flan flaw on the owl. The Berk specimen lacks the flaw on the owl, but does suffer from a test cut on the obverse at 8 o'clock. Overall, in our judgment, the two coins, representing the two earliest coins in the dekadrachm series, are comparable in quality.
When Dr. Wolfgang Fischer-Bossert published his standard reference The Athenian Decadrachm (New York, 2008), he placed the Berlin specimen (Fischer-Bossert 1 [O1/R1]) as the first among a total corpus of 40 specimens. Since that publication, a number of additional examples have come to light, and Fischer-Bossert published four further dekadrachms in SNR 88 (2009), including one example (now Fischer-Bossert 0 [O0/R0] = Berk BBS 166 (15 October 2009), lot 137 [also available at: http://www.penelopecoins.com/index.php?p=item&cid=1&id=220]) that apparently preceded the Berlin specimen and that he therefore identified as the earliest known Athens dekadrachm.
On close inspection, though, Fischer-Bossert's obverse die 0 is actually the same die as his obverse die 1, but at an earlier state. When comparing the Berlin specimen (see the enlargement in Kraay & Hirmer, no. 357) to the Berk coin, numerous consistent features are apparent. In particular, on the back edge of the bowl of Athena's helmet, at approximately 9 and 10 o'clock, there are two slight die flaws that are plainly visible on both coins. Also, on the Berk coin one can see that the die flaw on Athena's eye on the Berlin coin appears to have just begun forming on the top edge. Similarly, there is a die break in the curl of the vine tendril just above the ear on the Berlin piece that is in an early state on the Berk specimen. In fact, there are only two features that are not consistent between the two coins. One is the front edge of Athena's crest and visor, while the other is the lower edge of her neck-guard that appears to be slightly curved near the back on the Berlin coin. What appears to have happened is that the die was re-engraved at some point after the Berk coin was struck. The Berlin coin shows many signs of die wear, particularly the die break on Athena's eye and the "striations" that radiate outward from the front of her face. It would not be unusual for peripheral features, such as the crest and lower neck guard, to have significantly more wear that would require re-engraving that would alter their appearance. With this in mind, one can see that the two coins were therefore struck from the same die, but at different stages of its life.
The present coin is also struck from Fischer-Bossert Obverse 0, but from a different and previously unknown reverse die. As it does not have any indication of the die break on Athena's eye, this specimen appears to have been struck earlier. The reverse die on the present coin is very similar stylistically to Fischer-Bossert reverse dies 0 (the Berk coin) and 1 (the Berlin specimen), and is most probably by the same engraver. The three coins from these reverse dies also share an unusual technical feature, the softly rounded edge of the reverse incuse square (see Fischer-Bossert, SNR 88, p. 118). Fischer-Bossert suggests that this characteristic is not due to round edges on the die but rather to inexperience at the mint in the best striking method for the new large denomination.
In comparison to Fischer-Bossert 0, the present coin is better centered on a broader flan, with more complete designs and slightly less wear on the obverse high points. Like a substantial percentage of known Athens dekadrachms, the present coin has a flan flaw on the owl. The Berk specimen lacks the flaw on the owl, but does suffer from a test cut on the obverse at 8 o'clock. Overall, in our judgment, the two coins, representing the two earliest coins in the dekadrachm series, are comparable in quality.