I've been enjoying all the end of the year top 10 lists, here's one that will likely make mine. I wanted one that showed the break in the crest, the hair under the helmet and a reverse showing the squared punch. With just slight wear at the high points, this one ticked every box!
Thanks @Bing, I'm glad you like it. I don't know if prices will continue to drop but I felt it was time to pull the trigger.
I doubt they will drop much more. Yours is a very nice example. Full crest, earring, nice detailed owl. I don't think one could expect more from one of these. I need to pull that trigger, but my finger just doesn't work well when the prices are high. Not high for the type, but still not cheap. Congratulations!!
Very nice! I once owned a nice one, but sold it a few years ago. I've been browsing for a nice one to replace it for the last month or so. I am a newish ancient collector, so prefer them to be slabbed by NGC, which I know is somewhat frowned upon by most ancient collectors, lol. If yours came along for the right price in a ngc slab, I would have bought it in a heartbeat!
I wanted to purchase an Owl at last years NYINC show.. Kind of expensive.. I might try again at the 2020 NYINC.. If it's a good price.
Thanks for all the kind comments, I really appreciate it. I hope everyone gets the owl of their dreams as all these beauties come to market.
I have seen owls which were better than yours on each of the points mentioned but yours is just about the best balance of each of these points that I have seen. I assume the amount of wear scared off some competition and people seem to prefer coins with more space above the crest at the top and don't care as much about the hair at the bottom. If there could be one factor I would like to have been better it would be more of the E and relief on the bottom of the incuse square. I call this a wonderful coin.
Thanks Doug, I agree with all of the above. A no compromise coin would be out of my price range, the flaws made it just perfect for me. In hand, there is nice light toning and amazing mint luster. Of course I already own an Athens owl that has the full ethnic...
Nemo, Better late than never . Your Owl has the perfect size planchet, is perfectly centered, & is well struck ! You will now be officially inducted into the CT Owl Ornithology Group.
Your coin has another cool feature that you can check off and that’s the distinctive flow lines around Athena’s face radiating outward from the center of the coin.
I think this coin represents the perfect balance of a negligible tradeoff. I absolutely agree that sacrificing a smidgen of grade is worth maximizing all of the other attributes.