Athenian tetradrachms

Interesting, I was not aware of it, could you please provide a link to it? I thought the last excavations took loooong time ago and mostly bronze coins were found...

 

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I assume the hoard has been found in Turkey or Syria because there is a parallel sudden influx of silver coins from Aspendos, Side, Kelenderis, Soloi and Cyprus. If the numbers are correct, we are talking of 350kg of silver which is not so easy to smuggle....Who the hell consigns all these coins to HA/CNG/ROMA/other sideplayers? My suspicion is that the source is in Munich...

 

I'd like more clarification regarding the hoard.

Was it found in Turkey and then smuggled out, or was the dispersal officially approved by the Turkish government?

If it was smuggled out, then aren't they all technically illegal to own?

 

At ~$650 said and done, I like to think I probably got a decent deal on mine, considering the bust is like 95% on the flan and the owl is all there as well. Plus no test cuts.

Attica, Athens
AR tetradrachm
Obv: Helmeted head of Athena right
Rev: Owl standing right, head facing, olive sprig to left, crescent behind, AΘE to right, all within incuse square
Date: 454-404 BC
Ref: SNG Copenhagen 31
Size: 17.19g, 24mm

 

I've noticed all the Aspendos, Side, Kelenderis, Soloi, and Cyprus coins as well and figured there must have been some hoard of them discovered too...or maybe the same hoard.

 

Keep in mind that all hoards are not necessarily new. There are many hoards still sitting in bank vaults around the world awaiting the 'right' time for dispersal.

 

Here is a link to an article by Kroll. Hope it works for you. BTW - the article is in English but I was not able to see the illustrations.

https://www.persee.fr/doc/numi_0484-8942_2006_num_6_162_2797

 

Thanks! This is 100% not related to the coins that hit the market approximately 2 years ago. I remember reading in an article by Van Alfen about a big hoard he promised to catalogue about 10 years ago. I need to look for it. Considering what Ken just said, it might be this hoard we are talking about...

Here is what Van Alfren wrote:
Of relevance here also is a very large hoard of Athenian owls (Northern Syria 2007)–some reports say close to 10,000 coins found north of Aleppo and first noted by Richard Buxton (2009), but which has,unfortunately,been dispersed on the market.

Hope he comments if he reads this forum, or if anyone has contacts please ask him

 

Turkey invaded by military forces and occupies the North part of Cyprus since 45 years now despite several UN rulings so "illegal" is something flexible in that country. Greek coins are not their cultural heritage in any case. Athenian tets are exempt from import restrictions in the US.

 

I don't believe these are the same hoard but I'll ask Peter when I see him in a couple weeks.

 

@pprp For clarification I don't give an owl's hoot about legal impediments to private ownership (I also agree that Turkey has no right to the land or offshore resources of Cyprus) but if the hoards of Athenian tetradrachms or Asia Minor staters recently flooding the market were found in Turkey or anywhere else prohibiting the export of ancient coins and antiquities, aren't they technically illegal to own?

 

Hey AJ did you remember by any chance to ask Mr Van Alfen?

 

I'm afraid I had to cancel my October trip but I will ask him in January.

 

Great, thanks in advance!

 

We already had a discussion regarding the hoard of roughly 45000 owls found few months ago :

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This hoard is an interesting issue.

I was at the numismata coin fair in Munich in march. I thought i would see tons of owls from that hoard on dealer trays but I haven't seen a single one of them.... but there were plenty of rumour about it.

The hoard is supposed to have been found in Turkey in the area of Konya. As far as we know so far, it contains Flament Group II and III tetradrachms so the last decade of the fifth century is a plausible closing date for the hoard burial. It could be linked to the "Ten Thousand" expedition.

cf Xenophon Anabasis book I chapter II.19 :

ἐντεῦθεν ἐξελαύνει σταθμοὺς τρεῖς παρασάγγας εἴκοσιν εἰς Ἰκόνιον, τῆς Φρυγίας πόλιν ἐσχάτην. ἐνταῦθα ἔμεινε τρεῖς ἡμέρας.
Therefore he walked 3 stations, 20 pharasangs, to Iconium, last town of Phrygia. Here he remained 3 days.

Iconium was the name of actual Konya.

 

I have a tetradrachm with the same mark or symbol running from the middle of the cheek to the ear. In fact, the die is identical. The reverse die is very similar to your coin, as well. This mark has clearly been engraved in the die. It is not the right shape for a die chip, and it is very linear with a slight left curve at the top. I have been doing some research on imitative tetradrachms patterned along the lines of the classical and intermediate designs. I think both of our coins could actual have originated in the Levant, possibly Philistia. The mark could be an Aramaic Pe. This is just a guess. There's much still to be learned about the imitative tetradrachms, to be sure. (Cited from: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/athenian-tetradrachms.347587/page-2#post-4143674)