A second Tetradrachm for the collection

It’s ok. I already was told by Al to use vice grips to crush the corners and a screw driver to pry the slab open.

 

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My suggestions (chainsaw and flamethrower) were better.

 

I don’t have either one of those xD

I’d rather save that money for a nice coin .

 

That's a nice coin.

I don't think the coin has a silver wash or has been electro plated. I have a silver washed follis of Maximinanus, Siscia Mint, 286-310 AD, that has the silver wash more or less intact, and its appearance is quite distinctive, with its bright silver surfaces contrasting with some parts of the lettering and rim exposing the much more base metal beneath.



Nor do I think that the coin was plated. Such plating would tend to make the legend and devices fuzzier - there would be a loss of detail.

Comparing our coins, it is clear that they were produced with different dies. You coin definitely has the "billon look" - a kind of grayish green. My coin does have a more silver look to it, so I think it has a higher silver content. Based on my experience with coins of known fineness, such as the Mexican silver pesos of 1918 and the 1920's, I would guess that my coin might have a silver content of 60% to 75%.

There is an electronic device that measures metal content, but it is very expensive and I am not sure about the accuracy of the measurements. I could try to perform a specific gravity test, but my homemade approach to this is not very satisfactory.

 

Blake, despite the attribution of Tyre on your slab, I believe the coin was minted in Antioch. There is a great deal of ambiguity between the experts (McAlee, Prieur, Butcher, Metcalf, Bellinger & Sydenham) as to where these tetradrachms were minted. McAlee offers sound evidence (die linkage) that some of these Tets could have been made at the Rome mint, or dies were made in Rome & sent to Antioch. Take note of the slab info that came with the Tet I posted with the graffito.

When I had this coin slabbed, NGC was unwilling to make a commitment as to origin too , but there is no doubt in my mind that it was struck in Antioch. Your coin & the others posted that are similar I believe were also struck in Antioch. The coin pictured below I sold a long time ago, & NGC didn't commit to an origin on this coin too, although I'm sure it was struck in Tyre .



This design type was copied from the Tyre mint for coinage of Caracalla too.




Ironically when Prieur cataloged these coins he threw is hands up in the air , admitted his confusion, & listed all the types pictured in this thread under Tyre.

 

Thats funny. Something similar happened with my Athenian tetradrachm.

NGC put “perhaps an Eastern issue” like they weren’t entirely sure if it was or not. xD

 

They are right : nobody can be 100% sure such a classical owl is Athenian or Eastern, because there are Egyptian or Eastern imitations made of Laurion silver. Your beautiful specimen was very probably minted in Athens, but the possibility of an excellent imitation cannot be completely eliminated.

 

That’s true I’ve just noticed that not many of them say “perhaps an Eastern issue” on them.

They either don’t say anything or they say “Near East” or “Egypt” or something like that on them.

I’ve only seen like 2 or 3 that said “perhaps an Eastern issue” on them.

My guess is the lack of detail in the lips confused them because the ones minted in Athens usually have big pouty lips.