Weird Tetartemorions

Another question for the crew. I found a guy selling a number of coins that look like the coin below, which is being sold as an Ionia Tetartemorion (the screaming eagle with its tongue hanging out). I can only think they're either barbarous imitations or modern fakes, but am mostly just bewildered by them. Even the incuse punch is scratched into the die like a kid's drawing of the original. The only thing that makes me think it might not be a modern fake is that WHO WOULD FAKE A TETARTEMORION??

 

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Pretty sure its ok not in my realm.
It looks more like a "funky chicken"

 

What's a teta.....thingy?

Obviously I can't be any help on this one. Looks like Picasso was making coins.

 

They're tiny Greek coins.. under .2 grams. I like them because they fit my budget and I own a magnifying glass.

I've never seen any like what this guy's offering. Usually they're engraved in a style similar to any other Greek coin, except, usually, less detailed because of the size.

This is a typical Ionia Tetartemorion next to a grain of rice.

 

Holy geez, that is tiny!

Are these rare? How much do they usually go for, if you don't mind me asking?

 

Most of the ones I've got are around 6mm. I don't know about rarity but I see them come up pretty regularly. The coin in the picture I posted isn't mine, but I got my screaming eagle in a lot with a few other Tetartemorions for about twenty bucks. They can be had inexpensively if you watch and wait.

 

I mean, they're terrible. You shouldn't bid on any. They will ruin your collection.

 

Haha, clever. It was more of a general curiosity question, I'm not planning on searching any out right now.

 

Here's Doug's page on the little guys:

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/tiny.html

 

This one looks Celtic, but really I am only guessing. Here is a tetartemorion of mine:


MYLASA, CARIA
AR Tetartemorion
OBVERSE: Lion's head left with reversed foreleg below
REVERSE: Lion's scalp facing, flanked by leg on both sides, in incuse circle
Struck at Mylasa, 392-376 BC
.2g, 6mm
SNG Keckman I 837-846 (lion left)

 

I see no reason to suspect those are older than a few years. Who would fake such a thing? A crook who knows his market includes people with more money than sense. When I bought most of mine, no one wanted them so they were cheap but now they are cooler and nice ones cost more.

 

Thanks Doug. I've been watching this guy for a few weeks and just couldn't reconcile the terrible-if-fake fakeness of them with the thought that someone was trying to sell them as real. I was kind of in a they're-so-bad-they-must-be-real zone.

 

As a denomination (as opposed to specific types) they're quite common and not so popular that they're expensive. You can go on Vcoins and see a bunch in the $20-$50 range. Elsewhere (eBay), you might get them even cheaper. The one in the pic that Hoth posted next to the grain of rice is mine and was bought for just under $10 shipped. But of course, elsewhere (eBay) the thing might just be a fake, as the OP coin clearly is.

 

how weird! i think the guy that made this is a spongbob fan...my brain saw this immediately....

 

Sorry--wouldn't have posted your pic without permission if I'd known. Yours is just on the first page of returns if you do an image search for "Tetartemorion."

Incidentally, as a post-script: The OP coin wound up selling for $45.

 

Tetartemorion, eh?

=> just happens to be one of my favourite coins (tiny lil' sucka)

IONIA, Ephesos, AR Tetartemorion
Circa 500-420 BC
Diameter: 5 x 8 mm
Weight: 0.17 grams
Obverse: Bee
Reverse: Head of eagle right within incuse square
Reference: Karwiese Series IV; SNG Kayhan 126–34
Other: 12h … sweetly toned and exceptional for issue



=> aaaaww, how cute

 

No problem! It's not often I get the chance to "Like" one of my own coins .

 

Iona Kolophon AR Tetartemorion 530-520 BCE Archaic Apollo Incuse Punch 0.15g 4.5mm

 

Well, that certainly doesn't help my apiphobia. I definitely won't be buying any of those!

 

good to hear

=> yah, stay away from the bee coins, physics guy




=> they're all mine!!