Athens Owl (fake?)

Howdy peeps,

I got this in a while ago and I promised to post it when it came in:

http://img176.imageshack.us/my.php?image=001pt0.jpg

http://img124.imageshack.us/my.php?image=002nm3.jpg

A friend is concerned about certain surface problems so look at it closely and also, any recommendations as to who to send it to for authentication?

Ribbit

 

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You could also post it at the forum's board

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php

 

Man, HT, I hope it isn't. I remember when you bought that....you were so excited. It looks nice, but I don't know jack about ancient coins.

 

Looks ok to me. Can you get a pic of the sides?


stainless

 

I will take N-S-E-W shots tomorrow of both sides and post them. I know so very little about these so I don't know what to look at to tell if it's real or not but I felt good about the seller and he guaranteed it authentic. I don't take many chances any more but this one begged me to buy it. And I don't collect ancients, lil-lone silver.

Ribbit

 

Thanks Randy! :thumb: I did and I'm now waiting on the ancients in the ancients to speak up.

Ribbit

 

don't know anything about ancients...and still learning on US coins, but welcome back toad nice to have you back.

 

Hey Harry, :hail:

I only know enough to know I don't know enough but I liked this little gal and couldn't resist.

Ribbit

 

Important questions - size? weight?

Bad news first?
The style of Athena is, well, different. It doesn't match with the tetradrachms that I'm used to seeing. But it does look familiar.

Now the good news - it doesn't match any of the fakes in the Forvm gallery!

 

The one thing that admittedly raises concern is the way the eyes are formed on Athena, that doesn't look typical of the way they were done on the tetradrachms. The style of Athena is also unusual, but might be more in line with very late issue classical style tets that were issued just prior to the NS or new style tets that came out in the 3rd century.

 

My first impression is fake, as stated by others, the style doesnt look right...I am not an expert my any means though so take that with a grain of salt.

 

Im no pro, but it does look fake to me, but thats based entirely on presumption. Without side images and dimensions, weight, etc.. I cant say much more.

 

The seller I bought this from has sold 2 others that are different than the one I have and has one for sale now, that is also different.

Past Auctions:

http://cgi.ebay.com/athens-owl_W0QQ...oryZ4738QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/athens-owl_W0QQ...oryZ4738QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Current Auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/athens-owl_W0QQ...oryZ4738QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

He has others that are questionable so that bothers me and is why I'd like to get mine authenticated.

Ribbit

 

yeah, that seller does not fill one with a lot of confidence

 

Toad , don't know anything about these , hope it's legit , just glad to see you posting again .
rzage

 

It looks like an arm's length fake to me.
I do not have May.
Can you cite a number even close to this?

"Surface problems"? I think that it has style problems and execution problems.

If you don't know your coins, know your dealer. I started in ancients via The Celator. If someone advertises there, they are all right. Now, we have VCoins and other venues. I look for ANA membership -- ANS, etc., also. Again, however, for me, if you can drive to a show, you can meet a seller of ancients. And, again, there is always May. You can borrow it from the ANA library if you are a member.

One thing with ancients versus US and even world is the catalog attribution. Reliable sellers identify their coins. I mean, work is work, any some get by with a minumum description, but for something this expensive, if they don't want to do the work to earn your money, I'd go somewhere else.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news. On the other hand, Drusus' warning about the Histaia coins sent me looking and I was prepared for a $50 loss, but happily, I no longer one. So, we all are vulnerable.

Be all that as it may, I would return the coin.

Anyone else?

 

I don't know to much about these coins so i will shut my mouth I just want to say glad your posting again toad

Jazzcoins Joe

 

If you can, check on wildinds.com to look for that type.

 

I'm going to run it by the local collectors at the next club meeting. I too feel funny about it and I don't know ancients but I also have a funny feeling about some of his other offerings. Usually a seller will have all authentic or all fakes, or mostly fakes, and some of the seller's coins bother me. I messaged the seller 2 days ago and not a peep back from him so that too has me on edge.

I may run it by the local coin shop dude and see what he says and if says fake, I'm sending it back and won't wait till the club meeting.

Thanks all! :thumb:

Ribbit

 

i think it's fake. the style is like no other owl i've ever seen, from any period.

v.