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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Adcono, post: 8297181, member: 137960&quot;]Awesome thanks for the detailed reply. Learn something new everyday. Since the test cut arose via a question I wonder if anyone might weigh in on this topic as I find it an interesting topic in itself. Conventional wisdom says and it would I seem obvious that the majority of test cuts on ancient and medieval coins are purely utilitarian in nature meaning simply made in order to expose the core of the coin to ensure that it is solid all the way through and not a plated or washed core of non precious metal. It seems pretty clear that this is the case. However there are plenty of examples including Athenian Tetradrachm that have numerous test cuts sometimes all over the coin. It could reasonably be that each time it changed hands it was checked again because in ancient times it was known that a fake could be either purposefully test cut then re plated in order to look like it’s already passed the purity test or someone test cuts it finds it to be a fake and then re plates it themselves in order to pass it along and not take a loss. This would necessitate the practice of always checking yourself for a plated forgery when you get a new high denomination coin. However I know that a phenomenon known as “peck marks” are fairly common on European silver coinage of the early Middle Ages that have circulated in Scandinavia as well and have been similarly debated. These are much smaller and shallower nicks in the metal that seem to be made with the end of a knife or other sharp instrument. The explanation has been put forth that these too are purity checks. But many such coins exist with large numbers of these marks and interestingly sometimes seem to be concentrated on symbolic aspects of the coins design for example on the cross reverse which was common on coins of the era. So it seems possible that these marks were made for superstitious or political reasons to deface that aspect of the coin rather than checking the purity because at some point it seems to no longer be logical to check a coin that already has a dozen tests done to it but it might make sense for an individual to want to deface a symbolic aspect of a coin they receive for superstitious or political reasons. So I wonder if some of the heavily test cut owls might not be so for similar reasons? It’s well known that Athens had many enemies within Greece during the time these types were circulated and they circulated widely. Perhaps the iconic owl or head of Athena was a symbolic reorientation of the city that people with a particular gripe toward Athenian hegemony would sometimes be all to happy to deface? Just wondering what anyone might think about that.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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