Heritage World Coin Auctions
ANA Signature Sale 3033 8 August 2014
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Ancients
ATTICA. Athens. Ca. 460-445 BC. AR tetradrachm (25mm, 17.02 gm, 3h). Late "transitional" issue. Head of Athena right wearing Attic helmeted ornamented with vine scroll and three laurel leaves / ΑΘΕ, owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind; all within incuse square. Starr pl. XXII, 8´. Kroll 8. A piece of lovely style, with a wonderful owl. Minor obverse die break, otherwise beautifully toned and Choice Extremely Fine. Although this tetradrachm depicts an owl with its three tail feathers in a single prong, which technically places it among the "mass coinage" issues dated 454-404 BC, the lifelike owl and Athena's expressive compressed lips place otherwise place it very close to Starr's Group V, theoretically struck before the mass issues of the later fifth century BC. On artistic grounds it must be placed at the very beginning of this era.
Estimate: 6000-8000 USD
ATTICA. Athens. Ca. 460-445 BC. AR tetradrachm (25mm, 17.02 gm, 3h). Late "transitional" issue. Head of Athena right wearing Attic helmeted ornamented with vine scroll and three laurel leaves / ΑΘΕ, owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind; all within incuse square. Starr pl. XXII, 8´. Kroll 8. A piece of lovely style, with a wonderful owl. Minor obverse die break, otherwise beautifully toned and Choice Extremely Fine. Although this tetradrachm depicts an owl with its three tail feathers in a single prong, which technically places it among the "mass coinage" issues dated 454-404 BC, the lifelike owl and Athena's expressive compressed lips place otherwise place it very close to Starr's Group V, theoretically struck before the mass issues of the later fifth century BC. On artistic grounds it must be placed at the very beginning of this era.
Estimate: 6000-8000 USD