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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Terence Cheesman, post: 6290464, member: 86498&quot;]I guess this comment will be in two parts Generally speaking a masterpiece occurs when an outstanding example is created that is above the norm. One on this thread commented that this is tough for Roman Imperial coins which is true as they have a tendency to be uniform and at a very high standard. Please note this. Roman Imperial coins are usually minted at a VERY HIGH and consistent STANDARD.&nbsp; However in the colonial series this is not always the case, Though I would be loath to call this a masterpiece it is certainly a cut above the norm</p><p>&nbsp;Septimius Severus Ar Tetradrachm Laodicae Ad Mare Mint 207-209 AD Obv bust right laureate and cuirassed with gorgoneion on breastplate. Rv. Eagle standing facing wings spread head left. Prieur 1141 This coin illustrated 13.55 grms 28 mm Photo by W. Hansen[ATTACH=full]1249332[/ATTACH]</p><p>In the second half I would like to address pprp&#039;s&nbsp; rather unusual Athenian tetradrachm&#039; One of the central problems we face in our understanding of this coinage is how were the mints organized and how did they function. It is likely that a die could be produced in less than a day and the production of each anvil could be well over a 1000 coins a&nbsp; day. Thus we half to ask in say the mass coinage from Athens which is said to last some 50 years are we looking at an annual production over this time or are we looking at periods of very intense production over a few days or weeks with long periods of inactivity in between. This we do not know. pprp&#039;s coin could have been struck as the result of any number of possibilities</p><p>1. The end of a production cycle where&nbsp; there is only the need for a handful of coins&nbsp; to complete the order thus an older die is dusted off and used. This would seem to be unlikely but...&nbsp; I have seen evidence of this phenomenon with Roman coins.</p><p>2. The coin is the product from another mint. With the popularity of this coinage it is possible that other mints copied the Athenian owl so that their silver would gain greater acceptance. We have seen this in Asia Minor as well as Egypt. The mating of an earlier style obverse with a later reverse might seem odd but it is possible. I had a tetradrachm of Athens for many years which when I sold it was described by CNG as being from Egypt.&nbsp; I am still not certain of this</p><p>3. Contemporary&nbsp; copy This would only make sense if the coin was either&nbsp; light weight or of inferior purity of silver. Neither of these can I determine from a picture.</p><p>Unfortunately until we get a better understanding of this coinage as well as some other coinages which are produced en mass such as that produced in the name of Alexander III we will never fully understand what is in fact going on.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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