What's the secret handshake? Another new owl tet club member

I don't know if the hoard (if it really a true hoard) is being called that or if "Parliament Collection" is merely the name chosen by a dealer/investor who bought a ton of coins from that hoard and submitted them to NGC.

 

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Here is mine that has an obverse die match (I think I posted it a while back.) Mine is the upper one. The lower one was for sale on the Comptoir des Monnaies website for quite a while. It was a little too expensive, so I didn't buy it, though I probably should have. The reverses don't match.

 

wonderful catch my coin friend a big wow

 

I really feel stupid not having picked up on that obvious connection. I tip my (not as fancy as yours) hat to you for seeing the obvious so clearly.

 

I assumed (and assumed you assumed as well) the "Parliament" Collection was so named as an obvious nod to the collective noun for owls... I thought you were asking if the entire hoard goes under that moniker or if it just applies to however many that particular NGC submitter acquired from that hoard (or maybe the submitter is the primary holder of the hoard). And we're all assuming the one I bought is part of the mysterious recent hoard.

 

I received this one in 2011:


Greece Athens Classical Owl Tetradrachm
Obverse: Head of Athena right, three small upright olive leaves
Reverse: Legend AΘE, owl leaning right and facing, olive twig, crescent moon
Silver, 23mm, 17.18gm
Struck c. BC 430

The owl on the Greek coin is the European Little Owl, a close relative of the American Burrowing Owl.

 

I am not certain that tetradrachm was ever issued as a plated coin. The main reference we have for this issue comes in the play "The Parliament of Women" In this play an individual bemoans ever voting for this issue as he had just sold something got paid in these coins only to hear that they were now worthless as the state was now issuing good silver again. The trouble is, he was carrying these coins in his mouth which suggest small denomination coins. However, the main problem is the nature of the Athenian economy. According to Peter Green "Armada from Athens" the city was a net importer of wheat and barley needed to feed its population , and it was certainly buying wood for its fleet from well outside of Attica. The presence of so many Athenian dekadrachms in southern Turkey suggests that this area was one region where wood was coming from to build the Athenian fleet.
It should also be noted that the Athenian owl enjoyed far ranging acceptance throughout the Mediterranean basin. It was even copied in Egypt and Mesopotamia as late as the reign of Alexander III. I would assume that a mass of plated coins would have destroyed this trust. It is for these reasons I doubt that the larger denomination coins would be plated. Smaller ones yes but not the tetradrachm.

 

Here's my classical owl that I posted before. It has a test cut on reverse. BTW.. TIF indeed it's a superb and very attractive coin you finally acquired. You waited so long and reaped what you deserve. Congrats..

 

o wow!..very nice TIF...i can only wave

 

Dear @TIF, please PM me a gif of the secret handshake. Here are my credentials as a certified member of the Parliament club:



I bought it slabbed, but liberated it. I had seen many offered and bid on quite a few before I won this one. There is conjecture about how much lower prices might go, especially because many of us who wanted one enough to buy one at current auction prices are presumably out of the market and not competing for future similar coins. That should make prices drop. But, I am not at all sure that argument holds. It seems that demand remains strong anyway.

 

Your credentials are spectacular, @Valentinian!

I can neither confirm nor deny that one of these is the secret handshake:







Owl Tet Club secret knock-knock joke:

Knock knock.

Who who who's there?

[groan ]

 

A lot harder to achieve than it sounds! Congrats on your extremely appealing example for a great price.

Here's mine to make everyone feel good about theirs. (Even if you don't have one yet.)

 

That picture is hilarious!

Sorry to not be able to join the club. I do own a book, with a picture of the owl in it. But i guess a picture of a picture probably doesn't count...



P.s. all copyrights of that photo do not belong to me!

 

A lovely first owl!

It's a bit liberating that a "perfect" owl is not attainable except for the very rich and public institutions. It then becomes a game of "which flaws can I live with and where is the sweet spot between eye appeal and affordability".

It feels good to be in the club. I thought I might come to regret my choice, but despite the wear and flaws, I am still proud to own it

 

Nice Owl, TIF! I like the side view image that you took. Lots of other good examples posted here as well.

Two owls of mine below, a tetradrachm and an obol:

 

I did not had time yet to congratulate you on this wonderful addition, absolutely stunning piece of art. As like all coins, it looks even better in hand, so cool that this effect is also visible in a video. I do not have any Athenian owl yet to show here, but like you I will probably wait for the right time to buy a nice example.

 

Can I be a jr.member


ar drachm

 

Randy: I always like the fractionals more. Although the Tet is well known, it was typically for much larger purchases and may not had been traded more locally. Rather, they were probably traded for international major trades. The fractional silver was more for the everyday purchase by the everyday person in the local area.


Athens Attica 454-404 BCE ARr hemidrachm 16mm 2.08g Athena frontal eye - facing Owl wings closed olive branches COP 70 SG 2528