I always wanted one of these but since there are only a handful in existence and the average one breaks a half million, it was not going to happen. Fakes, however are common. This one is edge stamped Becker but it is not even an original product of Becker's dies. They still make these by casting from molds made from the dies and they don't look all that bad. I suppose I'd rather have one in real silver, really struck from Becker's original dies but that would sell for more than most coins in my collection so this is what remains of the options. The two eagles/one rabbit was always one of my favorite designs. Akragas, Sicily, late 5th century BC dekadrachm and very fake. Small change bronze (1/4 litra) from the series (real).
Really cool design, I agree with you. I have an auction catalog with one of those selling I kept just for the pic of that coin. I just got Hunt Brothers sale, I should see if they had one. Has anyoen ever read why Sicily had such incredible coin engravers? It might be a silly question, but I cannot think of any geographic location with such a profusion of off the charts beautiful coins as that place, from Syracuse, to Akragas, Cathaginian era, even up to Byzantine times their product was almost always superior. I tell you, if I were Sicilian I would certainly feel superior in looking at what my ancestors produced.
Well, I've always suspected that quality work breeds high standards. When a country or polis has a history of beautiful coins, future engravers have to work harder just so they can show their face in public.
It was badge of the city like the turtle was to Aegina and the owl to Athens. I do not know why they picked it. I did find this. Google is our friend. "In Aesychlus' Agamemnon, the protagonists Agamemnon and Menelaus are described as two predatory eagles that "kill the pregnant hare" (10). The line: "The white bird and the black, Menelaus and Agamemnon" shows the connection between these two brothers and predatory animals (Aesychlus 11). Carne-Ross writes in the Kenyon Review of this violent act as "an omen, a favorable one"(22). Not only is the death of the hare a favourable omen for Agamemnon, the hare represents "the destruction of Troy" (Carne-Ross 22). The hare is also a metaphor for Agamemnon's daughter, Iphigenia, who is sacrificed to Artemis to help the Achaeans destroy Troy, as Artemis is "on the Trojan side" (Carne-Ross 22). Agamemnon sacrifices Iphigenia while under direct pressure from Zeus: "[fate] drags him, as at the heels of horses" (Aesychlus 16). By appeasing Artemis, Agamemnon, under Zeus' direction, has shown himself to be an aggressive and predatory animal in both family and politics. Although a protagonist, Agamemnon acts as a violent animal." http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2398424/two_eagles_and_two_snakes_in_the_house.html
Fake one is pretty cool. Surprised some collectors are happy to have a fake instead of the real deal. I made a thread about using fakes as a hole filler *U.S. Coins* since some coins are just for deep pockets only & majority considered it was a major no no. Like owls, love the crab designs. Nice pickup.
Well ancients have a longer and more storied past with reproductions like Becker, etc. US has a definitive negative attitude towards them, since almost all of them have been to deceive collectors, while many ancient reproductions were paying homage to the originals, with no intent to deceive. Personally I do not like reproductions unless it is a famous one like a Renaissance piece or similar. I love contemporary counterfiets though.
Yeah I am not a fan of the fakes, that pretty much goes without saying. But when it comes to a coin with a beautiful design that would cost a half a mil for an authentic example..... well then I could see getting a nice well made fake like those made from the dies or cast from molds of the dies mentioned above. dougsmit: I also really like that crab design on the bronze, always been one of my favorites.... but I do have a long list of favorites Tell me doug, is that a snake under the crab? beneath the three dots? or something else? I also like the other side of the bronze, the eagle clutching an animal with it's talons, reminds me of some of the Mexican coins I have, even though they use a snake.
There is a crayfish under the crab. The three dots means the coin is 3/12th litra or a quadrans. Others in the series are the 4 pellet (one at right is weak) Trias and the two pellet Hexas where the rabbit lunch has been replaced with a snake. These are all pretty easily found but often in poor shape like mine. I don't recall seeing many nice clear ones. Even worse is my early 5th century tooth shape coin, a four dot trias but I have never been able to take a good photo of it. The crab barely shows on the coin.
Ah wow, very interesting, those first two have really nice crabs, and I can see the crayfish better. Very cool, and interesting how the dot placement is in different areas, below on the 3/12 litra, and to the side on these two. I like the coins, your first two in this last post look pretty decent to me, especially the crab in the second pic, and I can see the snake in the eagle's talons well.. as far as the tooth shaped one... that is interesting, I think I can kinda see the top of the shell of the crab, but not sure.... What is the weight of all these different denomination crab bronze coins?
