Famous Ancient Coin Type

[Gunner]

This is another recent acquisition of mine.? This is a "Fouree" or "Ancient Silver Plated Base Metal" Tetradrachm of Attica Athens (Greek).? This coin was struck sometime around 406 BC in Athens Greece.? Here is a write up on this issue.? The coin is currently being authenticated by David R. Sear.? It is 25mm in diameter and weighs 16.59 Grams.

The following is an excerpt taken directly from Doug Smith's Web Page:
"Toward the end (c. 406 BC) of the Peloponnesian War (with Sparta) , Athens found itself cut off from the silver mines at Laurion. Lacking enough silver to push forward the war effort the decision was made to issue a series of silver plated (fourree) copper coins that could be redeemed after the war for the regular, good silver product.

The technology for making silver plated coins was as old as coinage itself. Few people involved in coin production would not have known how to wrap a copper core in silver foil and bond the layers with heat and the force of striking. Whether this coin was produced in the mint, on the "sly" by mint workers or by counterfeiters is similarly unclear.

The wide acceptance of these coins led the mint to be slow in updating the style of the artwork on the coins. The portrait of Athena continued to use the Archaic style "almond" eye long after popular art style had passed into the Classical period. Care was taken not to do anything to hurt the acceptance of the coins. What was good money for the Athens of old still seemed good a century later."

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cach...fo/feac36owl.html+Athens+Owl+Doug+Smith&hl=en

Gunner

 

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[brla]

nice pincs awesome

 

[brla]

gunner may i ask u which age or year is this coins also who is that on the coins?

 

[Gunner]

WOW! Now that's what I call a find!?

Your whole article doesn't fit on my computer screen but I would assume you sent it to David Sear.? He'll love seeing it, that much I know for sure.

I'll bet that baby set you back a shekel or two?

It's beautiful!

Thank you! The coin is in Mr. Sear's hands at this very moment. I should be getting it back relatively soon. I actually got quite a steal on this coin at $250.00 =)

Gunner

 

[Gunner]

gunner may i ask u which age or year is this coins also who is that on the coins?

Hi brla,
The coin was struck circa 406BC in Athens Greece. The image on the obverse is that of the goddess Athena. The reverse depicts that wise Owl of Athens perched with an olive branch above it.


Gunner

 

[Gunner]

David Sear's Comments:

"I have examined your coin and there seems to be little doubt that it belongs to the class of silver-plated base metal tetradrachms issued at Athens in the final stages of the Peloponnesian War. I will produce the requested documentation over the next few days and get it back into the mail to you shortly.

Regards,

David"

I am VERY excited!!!!!

Gunner

 

[Gunner]

Quote from Sear:

"Athens was the greatest power in the Greek world throughout most of the 5th century BC. Its famous 'owl' coinage, principally of silver tetradrachms, possibly commenced in 510 BC on the occasion of the downfall of the tyrant Hippias. On these celebrated coins the helmeted head of the goddess Athena was accompanied by her attendant owl and the first three letters of the ethnic 'AQE'. Later, a diadem of olive leaves was added to Athena's helmet and a cresent moon was placed in the reverse field, though the precise chronological significance of these changes remains uncertain. To the intense chagrin of the Spartans Athens became the leader of the Greek states, including those of Ionia, in the epic struggle against the expansionist policies of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. The victories at Salamis (480 BC) and the Eurymedon (circa 467) clearly established the Athenian supremacy in the Aegean world. Initially, the Delian League (founded in 477) was an alliance of independent states sharing a common cause under the leadership of Athens. It gradually developed into an Athenian maritime empire with the member cities obliged to pay an annual tribute into the League's treasury on Delos. In 454 this treasury, amounting to 5,000 talents of silver, was actually removed to Athens and the vast wealth was openly employed for the aggrandizement of the city, now under the leadership of the great statesman Pericles. Vast building projecdts, such as the monumental edifices on the Acropolis, were financed in this way. From 431, however, Athens became embroiled in the protracted Peloponnesian War and increasingly the wealth of the state was dissipated in this futile cause. This attractive tetradrachm belongs to the exceptionally large ouput of Athenian 'owls' made during the second half of the 5th century. In contrast to the artistic development taking place at mints in other parts of the Mediterranean world, the late archaic style of the earlier 5th century became 'frozen' on these issues which represent the first truly imperial coinage of the Greek world. As Athens restricted or forbade the issue of independent currency at many of the cities within her sphere of influence the 'owls' came to circulate over an increasingly wide area. But this all came to an end with the defeat of Athens by Sparta in 404 BC and during the period immediately preceding this catastrophe the Athenians were reduced to the desperate expedient of issuing bronze tetradrachms and drachms with a thin surface coating of silver. This specimen is an excellent example of this emergency coinage the production of which drew contemporary comment from Aristophanes who, in his play Frogs (717ff), compares the decline in the quality of the leading citizens with the recent debasement of the Athenian coinage."

Grade: VF/nearly VF, rare and interesting

 

[Dave N Japan]

Nice, I have a copy of this coin that archeology mag gave away many years ago..Nice to find,but I like to buy some nice stuff too!
Thanks

 

[Gunner]

Another updated picture =).

Gunner

 

[Postalrevnant]

That is one awesome coin. Congratulations on all of those years of history. I have nothing that could hold a candle to that.

Rev

 

[ashleen]

Just beautiful, Gunner!
You have put together one heck of a collection

 

[Gunner]

Thank you Ashleen . This is a better picture of the rainbow-toned Athens Tetradrachm.

Gunner