I've been saving this neat little coin for about a month now. I'm still trying to show off my March Madness coins, but, in the meantime, here is my newest owl to a small aviary collection. SICILY, KAMARINA Æ Tetras OBV: Helmeted head of Athena left REV: KAMA, owl standing left, head facing, grasping lizard; three pellets in exergue Struck at Kamarina, Sicily, 420-405 BC 2.9g; 15.2 mm Calciati 33; BMC 40; SNG ANS 1229; SNG Cop 169 Kamarina (Greek: Καμάρινα, Italian: Camarina) was an ancient city on the southern coast of Sicily. It was founded in 598 B.C., as a colony of Syracuse. Fifty years later, the colony rebelled against Syracuse and was destroyed. In 495 and again in 485 the site was resettled by colonists from Gela. Kamarina suffered plagues and a marsh north of the city was the suspected source. The town oracle advised them not to drain the marsh, but in 405 B.C., the leaders ignored the advice. Once the marsh was dry, there was nothing to stop the Carthaginian army. They marched across the newly drained marsh, razed the city, and killed every last remaining inhabitant. Inhabitants that had escaped before the slaughter paid the Carthaginians to free the city and returned. Kamarina was sacked by the Mamertines in 280, taken again by Carthage in 259, and in 258 the remaining residents were killed or sold into slavery by Rome.
Now that you mention it, she does look like Jimmy Durante....Hmmm, does anyone besides me and Bing know who that was??!!??
i noticed that! not the most flattering bust of athena is it? that little owl with a lizard is awesome, what a cool very ancient coin...dig it!
