Athens Drachm

I am interested in some athenian coins but dont know a whole lot about them. Is the coin in the link below worth it? Any other help about the Athenian coins is greatly appreciated. thanks


http://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/git...__owl__moon__olive_branch/141097/Default.aspx

 

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Nope.

 

Without knowing your budget, I would say I think you can do better. Look around for an Attica Athens Tetradrachm. Much bigger! Probably looking in the $300-$450 range.

 

Good luck with your search (which is half the fun)

I too am looking for a little owl coin. A couple years ago I purchased the larger classic Athena/Owl Tetradrachm and now I am on a slow search for a companion (little owl) coin. I personally look at the dealer inventory at coin shows. Of course, the nice ones can be expensive. Do you have a price range in mind?

 

This is a nice early style coin with two important parts of the design off flan. With a nose and tail, the coin would be worth the price. As is? Not to me.

If you want a small coin to show with a tetradrachm, consider an obol.

 

My price range is $250-$500.

 

Take a look on Vcoins. You will something in that price range for sure. Let us know what you decide on.

 

Harlan Berk's got one I like in that price range, ex Lewis Egnew collection...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PEDIGREED-N...998?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d3d8b939e

 

What I see of the coin is pretty cool ... but I'd wait for a bigger flan that shows it all!

 

The coin JA linked to is called a "new style" Tet (new being relative of course) but it is a good example and a decent price for this type. HJB is a very dealer as well. If you are looking for the "old" or archaic style, you will find nice ones in your price range.

 

What do you think of these 2 coins?

http://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/holyland/74/product/attica_athens_after_393_bc/148764/Default.aspx

http://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/holyland/74/product/attica_athens_after_393_bc/148763/Default.aspx

I personally like the first one better.

 

Both are decent examples for the price. No test cuts in the owls head.

 

Im really thinking about purchasing the first one. Do you think that would be a good idea?

 

I only own one of these and one new style. I am by far no expert on these, but there are others on this forum who I consider experts. I think it is a nice coin and not a bad price, but I might suggest two things. First, wait till some of the others respond and get their opinions. Second, whichever coin you decide upon, I would make a reasonable offer to the dealer. Perhaps 10-15% less than the asking price. The worse the dealer can say is no and the best, well, he accepts or counteroffers. I recently purchased my "owl" at a coin show in Orlando. I paid $408 shipped for this one:

 

Okay i will do so. Thanks for the help and that is a really nice coin.

 

cough* $150*cough... a couple of years ago...


Stay vigilant, and always keep your eye open for deals....if I were to buy this coin today....what like a grand?

 

In comparison, it is a lump of silver compared to some of the coins I've seen presented here. But thanks for the compliment. We've had this discussion here before, but many of us believe this is an iconic Ancient that is a must have for Ancient collectors. Needless to say, not all members agree.

I also own one "new" style. Again it's not in the best of conditions, but it's mine!

 

Admittedly it's been awhile since I "looked" for an Athens Tet, How did they just triple in price in the last year? Holy Cow!

 

Great coins guys. You know, Hellenistic influence reached as far south as the Sabaeans, who made wonderful imitations of these coins. You can occasionally find them for half as much as the Athenian originals, and how many people can claim to owning a Sabaean coin?

But since Arabia is one of my collecting interests, I'm not going to help - you'll have to find them yourselves.



The Gazans also imitated these drachms, the so-called Philisto-Arabian coins, but they're crude compared to the Sabaeans.

 

I am not going to comment on the actual piece that you're considering buying => 'but" , I am gonna toss-in that I love buying stuff from Salem (Holyland) ... he is a good guy and he seems to have great stuff ...

=> however => make sure that you find a great piece, before pulling the trigger

=> don't let the "cost of the coin" rule your decision => find an example that makes you feel good about collecting coins ...

=> yup, that's the secret, dawg!!

Cheers