Is this Authentic? Athena Tetradrachm Silver

I saw this coin and thought that it seems very well struck with a high relief. It looks neat with the owl but I'm not too well versed with ancient coins. Do you think that this Athena Tetradrachm (?) coin is authentic? Or does something look amiss?

Thanks in advance!

 

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Here's one from Forum's fake reports that looks dangerously close.

 

Modern copy. The high relief is okay (ancient Greeks were not afraid of coins that couldn't stack), but at you correctly note, it's too perfectly executed (perfect centering of both sides on a perfectly round flan) compared to the originals. Hope you didn't spend money on this, unless it's just the few dollars a copy would be worth.

 

Looks like @Bob L. was slightly faster typing than I was. The fake he shows looks like a match for yours, which is as definitive as you could hope for.

 

It is being sold by a seller whom you will find is a known fake seller if you Google his name and on top of that it looks stylistically unlike any of the owls you'll find on ACSearch or other websites. If this sort of coin fooled you, you should not be looking at owls on eBay or there's a good chance you'll wind up buying a fake. Look at Vcoins or one of the big auction houses like CNG if you want to find an authentic owl.

 

It looks too perfect to me. I think it's a museum replica.

 

I was thinking of buying it, but I figured I should ask first. The original pictures I've seen on Google looked very different so that was inconclusive. But yeah, it looks very much like that known replica shown by @Bob L. Good thing I asked you all!

 

But, but, but, they found it in Uncle Bob's attic and little Marcy started calling it Owlie before she had to go to the doctor and was diagnosed...............

 

Hey iPen, I also like turtles!

 

Looks bronze and the style is wrong. Modern copy, as the above posters have stated.

 

With out a doubt fake. Head Dress is to perfect because the head is to small.

Here is one of many real ones that have survived.

 

Good catch.

 

Excellent advice, and of use to all of us at that.

 

I have a question for all who have seen fake owls and recognized them as fakes. We here on Coin Talk are shown many coins of many types and asked if they are real or fake. Some modern fakes are struck or pressed from modern dies engraved with varying degrees of skill. Some modern fakes are cast from molds made from a genuine coin. Sometimes this last type is diagnosed when we find an exact duplicate identical in every little detail (cracks, flaws, centering --- everything). Of all the modern fake owls we have been shown here, I can not remember one by that was a cast made from a genuine original. We see casts but they tend to be the low end fakes we call 'tourist fakes'. We see struck fakes from crude dies and rather professional ones that often are obvious because the style is beautiful (but not at all like the ancient diecutters did) and struck on large flans that very few real coins could match.

Where are the fakes made from a mold taken from a nice, genuine tetradrachm? What market factor keeps these from being a serious problem in the hobby? Ideas?

 

That is a very astute question that I hope someone can supply a reasonable answer to. Aside from that, we demand an explanation!

 

Hi Doug,

Athenian Owl tetradrachms appear to be one of the most liquid of ancient coins. There appears to be significant demand for them at all times. Therefore I would have thought there would be significant demand for forgers to fake them. Also, given how similar these coins are to one another, I would have expected that a convincing fake would be easier to pass unnoticed.

I do not have first hand knowledge of casting processes but compared with most other ancient coins, the Owls have very high reliefs, incuse squares and very irregular shaped flans. Perhaps the physical dimensions of these coins create difficulties for forgers in creating convincing casts?

Peter

 

I can just not, not ask this where did you get such a beautiful specimen and how much was it, that is one my my 3 (ancient) dream coins. And such great toning.

Thanks,
Jacob

 

There's a real one with your name on it, Jacob! It may take five years before it finds it's way to you but it'll happen

 

It came from the Beautiful City of San Francisco I paid $800. Honestly I would have paid more if I had to.

There are a lot out there Many good forgeries by MASTERS.

I studied these coins, and can give one good tip, make sure the OWL has a cluster of dimples right above the tail feather they should be there even on worn coins because it is a protected area. Look at mine again the dimple/dots cluster of 6.

 

Remarkable specimen, and worth every penny.