Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XVIII 29 Sep 2019
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Attica, Athens AR Tetradrachm. Circa 556-546 BC. Archaic head of Athena right, wearing crested helmet decorated with chevron and dot pattern / Owl standing to right with head facing, olive sprig behind, ΑΘΕ before; all within incuse square. Cf. Seltman 'Paeonian mint' group E, 120-124; cf. Svoronos pl. 2. 17.27g, 22mm, 6h.
Near Extremely Fine; excellent metal, lightly toned and lustrous. Very Rare.
From the collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-1990s.
The famous Athenian 'owl' tetradrachm, unquestionably one of the most influential coins of all time, used a basic design that would remain unchanged for nearly five hundred years, be extensively copied throughout the Mediterranean, and is today, as it was then, emblematic of Greek culture.
The quality of the engraving on the early owl tetradrachms varies greatly, from the sublime to some which are very crude indeed. This disparity led Seltman to propose that those tetradrachms of fine style were issues from a 'civic' mint in Athens, while those such as the present piece exhibiting little talent on the part of the engravers emanated from mints in the Attic or Thracian hinterlands, or Paeonia, though this has subsequently been disproven.
Near Extremely Fine; excellent metal, lightly toned and lustrous. Very Rare.
From the collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-1990s.
The famous Athenian 'owl' tetradrachm, unquestionably one of the most influential coins of all time, used a basic design that would remain unchanged for nearly five hundred years, be extensively copied throughout the Mediterranean, and is today, as it was then, emblematic of Greek culture.
The quality of the engraving on the early owl tetradrachms varies greatly, from the sublime to some which are very crude indeed. This disparity led Seltman to propose that those tetradrachms of fine style were issues from a 'civic' mint in Athens, while those such as the present piece exhibiting little talent on the part of the engravers emanated from mints in the Attic or Thracian hinterlands, or Paeonia, though this has subsequently been disproven.