Superb owl Sunday

NO,NO, NO!!!! It's Superbowl LV, Not LIV, you dolts! Roman Collector does not approve!

 

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All All,

Superb owls all round so far! Maybe this is not really superb, maybe more ostrich than owly faced, but I love it just the same.

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References: Le Rider, Alexander, pp 161-170 & 214-9; Van Alfen, Owls, Group IIIa, 79 (same obv Die); Nicolet-Pierre, Monnaies, pl 26, b-c.

- Broucheion

 

This is one owl that I posted before. I need to take some pics of others in the queue.

What's unusual about this mass production owl is the small die used for the obverse. It really is quite compact, the smallest I have seen used for a tetradrachm.



Plus one more, pics just taken.

This is a transitional owl, mass production. This coin shows many of the characteristics of the transitional types: evolving obverse elements, including the modeling of the face and design of the helmet; on the reverse the owl is changing from a naturalistic style to one that will be flatter. Additionally, the A and O (theta) has a considerable gap.

Attica, circa 454-404 BC
Athens
AR Tetradrachm
Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet ornamented with three olive leaves above visor and spiral palmette on bowl, round earring with central boss, and pearl necklace / Owl standing to right with head facing, olive sprig and crescent behind, ΑΘΕ before; all within incuse square.
Kroll 8; Dewing 1591-8; SNG Copenhagen 31. 17.19g, 23mm, 12h.
Good Very Fine.
From the inventory of a German dealer.
Lot 295, Roma E-Sale 65

 

Ugh PENALTIES! NOT SuperB!

And, the Ads... blase...

 

Here are a few owls, not all of which have already been shown.

Owl symbol on a Cr. 340/1 denarius:


A somewhat bedraggled Athens obol (10mm, 0.57g):


A helmeted human-headed owl on the reverse of Cr. 474/2b denarius:


Owl symbol denarius - Cr. 135/1:

Svoronos Pl. V, 32 owl with some damage:


My favourite Athens owl, which probably cost more in 2014 than it would today:


A mostly-decapitated owl on a Mytilene, Lesbos hekte:


Tarentum drachm with owl:


And a new-type Athens tetradrachm:


ATB,
Aidan.

 

Wow, Aidan, GREAT GAGGLE of OWLS!

Bummer is, I had to REPLY to your post to SEE them!

 

Thanks - I think I fixed it! - had to upload the photos - the problem is that they appeared OK to me until I hit "Post", then saw that I couldn't see them.

Hopefully, they are there now.

ATB,
Aidan.

 

Bringing Superb Owl day to a close, here is one of Athens' very last owls, a Roman Provincial issue from the time of Hadrian (RPC III 406):


How the mighty have fallen! Perhaps the same thing happened today, but I wouldn't know... it's not hockey.

 

I just got the Superb owl - Super Bowl thing. I live in Australia, that's my excuse.

 

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I got a Steven Corm coin too-Griffin. Are you sure you cannot read an amphora letter on that Nike Presenting wreath issue?

 

This is the only game I can play because this is the only ancient coin I own!