new auction win - Looks like I am starting to collect owls.

Not long ago I acquired my first Athenian owl, and it did not take long for a second one to follow. Having read a bit more on the transitional and pi-style owls - I have gotten really interested in them, so it looks like I am starting a new sub collection outside of Roman Republican coinage

This beautiful specimen went under the hammer today at the Stack's Bowers ANA auction, and I was lucky enough to win it after a very heavy bid war with a floor bidder. It ended quite a lot above what I expected, but all and all I am very happy having won it.

It is accompanied by a good provenance back to 1975, and a gorgeous cabinet toning.





ATTICA. Athens. Ca. 350-297 BC. AR Tetradrachm (17.18 gm).

Obverse: Head of Athena with eye in true profile right, wearing crested Attic helmet with three olive leaves above visor and pi-style palmette.

Reverse: Owl standing right, head facing, olive sprig and crescent moon behind, all in square incuse.

References: HGC-4, 1599; Kroll-Unlisted.

Provenance: Ex: Superior (2/1975) Lot # 1979.

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I am also sharing some fresh photos of the first owl I recently received:



ATTICA. Athens. Ca. 393-370 BC. AR Tetradrachm (24mm, 17.18 gm, 8h).

Obverse: Head of Athena with eye in true profile right, wearing crested Attic helmet with three olive leaves above visor and floral scroll on bowl.

Reverse: Owl standing right, head facing, olive sprig and crescent moon behind, all in square incuse.

References: HGC 4, 1598. SNG Copenhagen 63.

Provenance: Ex Stack's Bowers and Ponterio, NYINC Sale 173 (8 January 2013), lot 160; Demarete Collection (Clain-Stefanelli).

 

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Owls are a winning design.

 

Those are two outstanding intermediate owls. This type is harder to locate with nicely centered strikes. The later the coin was struck, the greater the challenge.

Congratulations! Watch out! Owls can be addicting!

Does the first coin have indications of a folded flan on the edge?

Here are a few intermediate owls from the collection:

Pi-Style II (Bingen Pi II), 353 - c. 350 B.C.



A possible Eastern imitation, mid-4th century BC. Silphium counterstamp, obverse.



Quadridigité style, c. 286 - 262 B.C.

 

I LOVE the Provenance!

 

Mike, Those are two handsome Owls, especially the one from the Demarete collection . It took me a long time to score an Owl that wasn't too expensive. The one pictured below I scored a couple of years ago.


Athens, 454-404 BC, AR Tetradrachm: 17.22 gm, 25 mm, 3 h.

 

Great pickup, Michael. Both obverse and reverse designs are within flan. Very nice!

 

Thank you very much! Already addicted

I have noticed as you mention that well centered specimens are very difficult to find, more so with a good surface and provenance on top of that.

For the folded flan do you mean the early transitional I recently won or the one I won today?

 

Thank you!

Yes the Demarete one is fantastic, it has a style that immediately attracted me. This then led to discovering these later owls.

 

That would be the owl you won today, 350-297 BC.

The first owl that you acquired is a very rare type, and I don't think that flans were folded at that time.

Here's link to a discussion on folded flans and intermediate owl pi-types. You might have seen this before.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=pi-style

 

Thank you!

 

I will be able to answer that in a few weeks when I have the coin in hand.

But by the looks of the auctioneers photos it does not seem to be folded, this means if I read correctly that it should be a Pi-Style V from a cast flan?

The link you posted in my first owl thread has been very useful to me, thanks!

 

Here's an owl that came in today, from Israel. I'm pretty sure this is an imitation from Philistia or Phoenicia. The style of the obverse portrait of Athena is very distinctive.

16.8 grams, with a dark "hoard" patina and earthen highlights.

 

Wonderful, crisp, centered image... CONGRATULATIONS!



ATHENA and OWL never looked better!

 

Any love for a "poor man's" example?

Z

 

A very modern interpretation!

 

"M'Lady Diana has moonbeam hair,
a smile, dimpled rosy cheek, a nose
and eyes that sparkle with the light that knows
the alchemy of dreams. M'Lady, fair
art thou and beauteous, a silver pear
upon a cloudy bosom, cliffs of snow
where edelweiss unfold their stars. And, no
one mortal, beast or errant branch would bear
themselves more gracefully than thou, wafted
across the waves on angels' wings in Nep-
tune's horn; so pale art thou and wane, the dead
mistake thee as their own... . Come back!" Thus wept
Endymion for his unrequited
love, passion's solemn promise later kept.

So I'm mixing up ATHENA with DIANA/ARTEMIS, you're coin looks very much like my own; may I ask what the weight of yours is? Here's a picture that compares the two; perhaps you can help me fill in the background details?

Thanks in advance.

 

These are modern strikes by minter Ron Landis, formerly of Gallery Mint Museum and currently owner of Landis Studios. They come from two separate strikes actually.

Here are the reverses from both pieces. Each weighs 43 grams. I'll need to get out my calipers tomorrow to get you a diameter.

Your pieces look to be the same, albeit there are slight differences in the dies. If yours is a single coin, it might be one of Ron's early pieces. I've seen some that were dual sided, but most were COPY marked. If yours is one of his strikes, it is rare and early.

Z

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As an aside, this is the only dual sided strike I have from Landis. It's a bit more modernistic but the only way I can participate in the collection of ancients within my budget.

I really do appreciate viewing and learning from your collective posts. I live vicariously through your collections, and the accumulation of these meager tribute pieces.

I do have a couple more on order and on their way to me. I will show them when they arrive, if anyone is interested.

Z

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Z, You're WONDERFUL! Thank you so very much for the lead on RON LANDIS and his studio; his work is AMAZING! and dangerously close to forgery. Whereas RL Studios has 2 fully marked, ascribed pieces, both FRONT and BACK for sale on the website ($140 plus), someone has taken these and made slight alterations (ATHENA's nose has been bobbed) and made a coin. WOW!, Instant Ancient, and suckered me out of $250 plus for an ersatz ANCIENT COIN... . AMAZING!, mine weighs less than 43 grm, but may yet prove to be STERLING SILVER!? (Let's hope so... ), I think I hear the siren's song, as far as collecting ANCIENT COINS (especially for newbies like me) ...

Awhile the Mermaids sing and comb their flow-
ing hair, the Waves would crash against the rocks,
like drunken sailors drooling over bock
and teats, with loud and savage lusty row.
The Mermaids raise their heads like startled does,
eyes flash and greet the other's, lashing mock-
ing smiles that meet one another as locks
unfold. Their laughter sets the waves aglow
and racing headlong, streaming foam, they hurl
themselves upon their fated goal, to pick
that pearly comb amid the virgin curls
and toss it back away to sea. Ah!, quick-
ly fading dream of sirens. Oh!, laurel
of rising froth and sand... , a snuffed wick.

 

Will someone please enlighten me; what do these initials stand for?

CRH

TPG

CAC

It took me YEARS to find out what LOL stands for, and here's a recipe you're sure to enjoy for your troubles (in advance). THX


Ingredients

• 1/4 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  
  
• 6 tablespoons popcorn
  
  
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  
  
• 1 teaspoon truffle oil
  
  
• 2 cups grated Pecorino
  
  
• 1/2 pound finely chopped, cooked bacon
  
  
• 2 teaspoons truffle salt, or to taste
  
  
• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
  

Preparation
Place olive oil and popcorn in the bottom of a saucepan or a high-sided skillet with a lid. Cover and place over medium heat, shaking the pan constantly until popping slows to 3-4 seconds between pops.

Pour the popped corn into a large bowl for tossing. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine.