I finally got an owl!

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Ajax, Nov 11, 2016.

  1. Ajax

    Ajax Well-Known Member

    It's certainly not the prettiest coin out there and its missing the reverse legend and two big test cuts but for 90£ shipped I'm not complaining. One day I'd love to get a nicer example but the canadian dollar is just terrible right now makes collecting a bit more difficult. Please share any of your Athens owls or any coin you want
    196.jpg
    24 mm 16.94 g
     
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  3. Pishpash

    Pishpash Well-Known Member

    A lot more than $90 but I am not complaining. I love this coin.
    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    Attica, Athens
    Coin: EF AR Tetradrachm
    None - Athena Helmeted Right
    AΦΕ - Owl standing right, head facing, crescent & olive-sprig behind within incuse square
    Mint: Athens (415 BCish)
    Wt./Size/Axis: 17.13g / 26mm / -
     
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  4. Kentucky

    Kentucky Supporter! Supporter

    Much nicer than mine...wait a minute, I don't have one, so mine is MUCH nicer :)
     
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  5. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Good for you @Ajax ! They can be quite pricey, but they are fun to have.

    Rather than posting an AR Silver Owl (I have 4), I will digress from the crowd and post a couple AE Bronze Owls... Just to be different. They are a little harder to find...

    ATHENS:
    Athens 224-198 BC AE 12 Athena 2 Facing Owls RARE Agora 71 O-R.jpg
    Athens 224-198 BC AE 12 Athena 2 Facing Owls RARE Agora 71

    SICILY:
    Sicily Kalakte AE unit 2nd C BCE Head Athena in Helmet - Owl rev  Obv-Rev RARE.JPG
    Sicily Kalakte AE unit 2nd C BCE Head Athena in Helmet - Owl rev RARE
    From that @John Anthony coin-monger guy...
     
  6. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

  7. Andres2

    Andres2 Well-Known Member

    Probably the 2 smallest owls I own:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    a standard Tetradrachma from Athens, best out of four:

    [​IMG]
     
  8. Ajax

    Ajax Well-Known Member

    Very nice coins everyone. @Bing whats up with all the little holes on your second coin??
     
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  9. Aethelred

    Aethelred The Old Dead King

    When I was a beginning collector of ancients (in my early teens) I desperately wanted an Owl, any Owl. Life has been good and now I own three, two Classical and one Hellenistic. Here are pics of two:

    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
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  10. physics-fan3.14

    physics-fan3.14 You got any more of them.... prooflikes?

    The Owl ranks up there with the Alex Tet on the list of coins that everyone should own. I don't have an Owl yet, but I want one.
     
  11. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    I assumed it was caused by the way it was preserved, but to be honest, I really have no idea. I'm pretty sure there is nothing wrong (other than looks) with the coin. I got it from HJB who accepted my offer for it probably because of the ugly obverse.
     
    Puckles likes this.
  12. chrsmat71

    chrsmat71 I LIKE TURTLES!

    whoooooooooooooooooo doesn't have any owls?

    [​IMG]

    chrsmat71. :(
     
  13. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    Unless you are ready to pay four digits or more, you need to decide which faults you can accept.
    Worn and cut but excellent style and centering
    g01188bb2702.jpg

    Full crest but surface problems and flatness on the owl
    g01195bb3159.jpg

    The popular tetradrachm is the easiest of the Athenian coins to find. The below 1/4 obol is easily the worst centering a coin can have and be 'full crest' :D but how many of you have anything smaller than an obol. (Who cares?) At the last show I asked for either an upgrade to this one or the even more scarce 1/8 obol. As it is this itty bitty scrap cost about the same as the worst tetradrachms on the market but is 1000 times rarer. The reverse is a crescent.
    g01315bb3200.jpg

    Three crescents make a 3/4 obol but is easier to find.
    g01310bb0462.jpg

    My favorite and most scarce owl is this three prong tail obol struck on a nice oval flan. I was happy to get it from NFA back in the day when no one wanted small silver. Sure I would like higher grade but I would insist on a clear tail feather separation.
    g01220fd0461.jpg
     
  14. Michael Clarke

    Michael Clarke Well-Known Member

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  15. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

    You rock, Ajax!! ... congrats on breaking your owl virginity (cool OP addition)

    Ummm, 90£ = $114 US = $150 Canadian is still a fairly considerate chunk of coin-change, but at least you've scored yourself a cool owl, eh?


    [​IMG]


    => welcome, coin-brother!!

     
    Mikey Zee, Theodosius, Ajax and 2 others like this.
  16. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

    ancientowl2x.jpg ancientowl2a.jpg Pontos Amisos AR Siglos.jpg Phoenicia Tyre Dolphin & Owl Shekel.jpg kleopatra thea.jpg Troas Sigeion.jpg


    Ajax, congrats again ...

    I'm fairly sure that you'll search for more owl-targets, but it's always sweet to bag your first conquest!

    emoticon cheers too.gif


    :rolleyes:
     
  17. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    Cute :D

    I have no classic Athena owl tets but do have one rather uninspiring New Style tet from a large mixed lot:

    [​IMG]
    ATTICA, Athens
    "New Style" issue, 114/3 BCE
    Magistrates Diotimos, Magras, and other(s)?
    AR tetradrachm, 16.7 gm
    Obv: helmeted head of Athena right
    Rev: owl standing right, head facing, on amphora; magistrates’ names in fields; A on amphora, ΠE below; all within wreath
    Ref: Thompson 660 ff

    A couple of non-Athenian owls:
    [​IMG]
    SICILY, Kamarina
    420-405 BCE

    AE tetras, 3.11 gm
    Obv: Head of Athena right, wearing winged Phrygian helmet; dotted border
    Rev: KAMA (legend from top to bottom), with owl standing left, lizard in talons; three dots in exergue
    Ref: Westermark / Jenkins 202, SNG ANS -., Calciati III No. 39

    [​IMG]
    SICILY, Kamarina
    420-405 BCE

    AE tetras, 3.34 gm
    Obv: Large head of Athena left, wearing crested helmet with wings
    Rev: Owl standing left, with lizard in talon; KAMA (retrograde) upward in right field; three dots in exergue
    Ref: Westermark / Jenkins 198 (see FIG. Pl. 35 / 198.24), SNG ANS 1230 Calciati III no. 28/4 (dotted-border type)

    There are certainly some nice mass emission owl tets in that auction. Heritage seems to attract ancient coin "tourists" from the modern side of collecting and I suspect the slabs carrying the MS label will sell for a hefty premium, probably to collectors who exclusively buy slabbed coins. High quality owl tets are pricey enough without the TPG assessment of grade so i doubt I'll try for one. It's worth keeping an eye on bids though in case I'm wrong :)

    I agree that a "classic" owl tet is an iconic coin and belongs in any general collection of ancient coins, but the cost of these things relative to the massive numbers of available specimens is really annoying so I have yet to buy one.
     
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  18. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

  19. fish4uinmd

    fish4uinmd Well-Known Member

    Is that pronounced "tetra dram"?
     
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  20. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Personally, I drive the dealers crazy with the literal (perhaps the original) pronunciation: Tetra-DRAKHmu
     
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  21. fish4uinmd

    fish4uinmd Well-Known Member

    Is that Klingon?
     
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