Athenian Owl hoard?

Interesting discussion

Here's my 2016 (CNG) example


ATTICA, Athens. Circa 454-404 BC. AR Tetradrachm
Helmeted head of Athena right, with frontal eye
Owl standing right, head facing, olive sprig and crescent behind, all within incuse square. ΑΘΕ in the right field
24mm, 17.08 g, 8h
Ref : Kroll # 8; HGC # 4,1597

Q

 

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I agree with your post, but I would also add that owl tets are so common and widespread, it’s not likely there is a lot of information to be recovered from the hoard itself per se. If the site was left mostly undamaged, it’s likely all the important archaeological data is still accessible, IMO.

 

Hoards sometimes aren’t associated with other finds (people often buried things away from civilization), but sometimes they are. We’ll never know. Even though the owls are super common, it’s possible that the hoard as a whole may have revealed something about the chronology of the types, or the economy of a wider area if it was found in certain areas. But the main point I wanted to make is that this would be much less of an issue if antiquities laws weren’t made by zealots. I believe that there is much to be gained by archaeologists and collectors working together, but it doesn’t happen often enough.

 

Good eye and thanks for posting; however, "remarkably close" means nothing much.

Perhaps you might consider posting an outline of your seminar on the forum after you give it.

 

FWIW: Today I acquired an upgrade at a great price. Both coins have a crowded flan so I made no gain in that regard. However, the upgrade not only has increased detail but also is without banker's mark, bad flan crack, and test-cut. I'm pleased!

 

This hoard is an interesting issue.

I was at the numismata coin fair in Munich in march. I thought i would see tons of owls from that hoard on dealer trays but I haven't seen a single one of them.... but there were plenty of rumour about it.

The hoard is supposed to have been found in Turkey in the area of Konya. As far as we know so far, it contains Flament Group II and III tetradrachms so the last decade of the fifth century is a plausible closing date for the hoard burial. It could be linked to the "Ten Thousand" expedition.

cf Xenophon Anabasis book I chapter II.19 :

ἐντεῦθεν ἐξελαύνει σταθμοὺς τρεῖς παρασάγγας εἴκοσιν εἰς Ἰκόνιον, τῆς Φρυγίας πόλιν ἐσχάτην. ἐνταῦθα ἔμεινε τρεῖς ἡμέρας.
Therefore he walked 3 stations, 20 pharasangs, to Iconium, last town of Phrygia. Here he remained 3 days.

Iconium was the name of actual Konya.