Roma Numismatics Ltd
E-Sale 91 2 Dec 2021
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Attica, Athens AR Tetradrachm. Circa 400/390-353 BC. Head of Athena to right, with profile eye, wearing crested Attic helmet ornamented with three olive leaves above visor and spiral palmette on bowl, round earring with central boss and pearl necklace / Owl standing to right with head facing, olive sprig and crescent behind, ΑΘΕ before; all within incuse square. J. H. Kroll, 'Athenian Tetradrachm Coinage of the First Half of the Fourth Century BC' in RBN CLVII (2011), pp. 3-26, fig. 1B = pl. I, 1 and pl. I, 2; HGC 4, 1598; Nomos 8, 155. 17.11g, 24mm, 9h.
Near Very Fine. Rare.
The depiction of Athena on the obverse of this tetradrachm bears all of the characteristics of what numismatists have described as being of early 4th century style. The eye of Athena is rendered in profile view in contrast to the frontal rendering of earlier issues, and the ear is more simply delineated with a dot above the earring (sometimes referred to as a point tragus). The lateral leaves of the palmette which decorates Athena's helmet terminate in 'turned-up hooks' (see Kroll in references, p. 4). The flan itself is generally more compact than is typical of earlier issues and so too is the overall design of both the obverse and reverse, particularly the proportions of the owl.
Further comparison with later fourth century issues is revealing (see HGC 4, 1599). Notably the size of Athena's profile eye on later issues is much smaller and the helmet palmette is usually more elongated (often likened to the Greek letter pi). The position of the alpha on the reverses is no longer positioned by the head of the owl as we see on this example but at the owl's neck. Most distinctive is the difference in the flans. The majority of the later fourth century issues were evidently struck on flans which were prepared by hammering an existing coin to obliterate its design and then folding it over, then hammering together two such pieces before striking, whereas the earlier issues were struck on freshly cast flans.
Kroll has argued the technique of hammering and folding existing flans was employed specifically for a re-striking program begun in 353 BC, the purpose of which was to raise revenue for the city of Athens which had been impoverished by the Social War (ibid, p. 5). Thus tetradrachms struck prior to 353 BC such as this were recalled and converted into the 'pi-style' tetradrachms described above. Kroll notes that this explains the relative rarity of the early fourth century tetradrachms to the latter issues and provides an explanation as to why recorded finds containing them have been made predominantly outside of Athens (in Sicily, Egypt and the Levant) - presumably they were exported prior to 353 and escaped re-striking.
Near Very Fine. Rare.
The depiction of Athena on the obverse of this tetradrachm bears all of the characteristics of what numismatists have described as being of early 4th century style. The eye of Athena is rendered in profile view in contrast to the frontal rendering of earlier issues, and the ear is more simply delineated with a dot above the earring (sometimes referred to as a point tragus). The lateral leaves of the palmette which decorates Athena's helmet terminate in 'turned-up hooks' (see Kroll in references, p. 4). The flan itself is generally more compact than is typical of earlier issues and so too is the overall design of both the obverse and reverse, particularly the proportions of the owl.
Further comparison with later fourth century issues is revealing (see HGC 4, 1599). Notably the size of Athena's profile eye on later issues is much smaller and the helmet palmette is usually more elongated (often likened to the Greek letter pi). The position of the alpha on the reverses is no longer positioned by the head of the owl as we see on this example but at the owl's neck. Most distinctive is the difference in the flans. The majority of the later fourth century issues were evidently struck on flans which were prepared by hammering an existing coin to obliterate its design and then folding it over, then hammering together two such pieces before striking, whereas the earlier issues were struck on freshly cast flans.
Kroll has argued the technique of hammering and folding existing flans was employed specifically for a re-striking program begun in 353 BC, the purpose of which was to raise revenue for the city of Athens which had been impoverished by the Social War (ibid, p. 5). Thus tetradrachms struck prior to 353 BC such as this were recalled and converted into the 'pi-style' tetradrachms described above. Kroll notes that this explains the relative rarity of the early fourth century tetradrachms to the latter issues and provides an explanation as to why recorded finds containing them have been made predominantly outside of Athens (in Sicily, Egypt and the Levant) - presumably they were exported prior to 353 and escaped re-striking.