My new owl tetradrachm is a boulder

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Only one without a test cut...

 

In my signature.

 

Nice coins all.

Here's a kind-a sort-a side view. The Tet is phat.

 

That specimen is certainly phat. the incuse is like a quarter inch deep.

 

That's funny. How many 2x2s gave their lives to make that holder?

 

Ancient chop marks , that's so cool !

 

Someone told me that you were to only chop the owl, but not on the bust of Athena. You were not to incur the wrath of the Goddess Athena...however... 3 of mine are chopped, and one double-chopped!

 

Boss owls, everyone!

Man, I wish I could afford one of these bad boys.

Erin

 

Owl tetradrachms were made for many years with the same weight standards but a great difference in diameter and thickness. If one test cut is bad, what is a coin with three?
5th century

4th century

 

I have to say I vastly prefer the coin with test cuts to the one without. On the latter, both Athena and the owl look creepy and skeletal.

 

Obviously the choice must be made between condition and style. For those who want to spend less, is a Classical owl with faults better or a late one without? If you choose faults with that mean a test cut, poor centering or surface problems? How do you feel about a well worn coin? We each must find our own answers here or be prepared to pay for perfection. My best is far from perfect but shows faults I could accept. Your coins will differ.

 

These all had degrees of flaw so I was able to get them at bargain prices. Well, not so much bargain on the drachm, they were just cheaper due to lesser quality. The old style tet is probably better one of the bunch, it just has a weak crescent and a off flan E. Think I'll upgrade them all once I get my hands on a ~485bc style, Would like to have examples of all the smaller denominations, and a few imitations.

 

Nice collection bn.

 

I have an early transitional style, which is also quite a chunky coin but nowhere near as chunly as the OP coin.

Transitional style tetradrachms include all of the wide spectrum of variants with the eye in profile issued after the classic "old style" almond eye tetradrachms but before the broad thinner flan "new style" tetradrachms. Recent research has classified variations of the transitional style - Pi Type, Quadridigité Style, Heterogeneous Style and sub-groups of the styles, and proposed chronologies for the different styles and groups.

This coin is the earliest transitional type, the first Pi style type, essentially identical to the "old style" with the exception of the eye in profile. The "Pi" designation is based on the P shape of the floral spiral and palmette ornamentation on the helmet bowl. The coin can be classified as Pi style, group 1. The floral ornament on examples this early do not yet resemble Pi.

Minted in Athens c. B.C. 393 - 370.
Reference:– Flamen p. 126, 1 (Pi I); Svoronos Athens plate 19, 17; SNG Cop -

16.699g, 24.31mm, 270o

 

That's a gorgeous coin, @maridvnvm. I didn't know about the spectrum of transitional styles, either, though, logically, one would expect there to be a spectrum.

 

Since it was mentioned, it seems a good idea to show a coin with the Pi on the helmet (though you have to ignore the bar running down the middle of it). This coin serves in my educational collection to illustrate that some people lacked trust in the solid silver of the coins and test cut them looking for fourrees. Here, the coin was good silver.


...and here, on a Classical style tetradrachm, the copper core of a fourree was found. Note the shallow cut behind the owl was inconclusive so the tester cut it again removing all doubt.

 

Sweet!

 

These owls are quite chunky. I love the feel in hand. Feels like "money".
17 grams, 24mm.