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MECHANISMS FOR THE IMITATION OF ATHENIAN COINAGE : DEKELEIA AND MERCENARIES RECONSIDERED
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<p>[QUOTE="robinjojo, post: 4609081, member: 110226"]That's a beautiful coin, well struck and made of good metal. </p><p><br /></p><p>Absent a pedigree to a hoard, many imitative owls are classified as such based on style. Many are clearly imitative, with marked deviations from the classic Athenian design, while others are much more nuanced. </p><p><br /></p><p>So, let's compare your coin with the one below, an Athenian Tetradrachm, mid-mass production, from the Roma Numismatics E-Sale 55, lot 168, which I acquired last year.</p><p><br /></p><p>I pasted the photo of your coin next to this one for easier comparison.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1141540[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/tet-jpg.1141484/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Both coins, on first glance seem almost identical and indeed that was the purpose of the imitation. However, there are differences on further inspection.</p><p><br /></p><p>Obverse</p><p><br /></p><p>On the obverse, the style is flatter on the imitation. Of course, many later production Athenian tetradrachms also have a flatter appearance, as the quality of the dies deteriorated with the failing fortunes of Athens during the Peloponnesian War.</p><p><br /></p><p>On the imitation, there is less detail to the lips and the crest is not a well engraved, treated almost as an after thought. The neck on the imitation is much narrower compared to the Athenian coin. The palmet is thicker, with much less flair. For the hair, both the upper and lower curls are larger and somewhat flatter. The dots for the neck guard on the imitation are larger, compared to the Athenian coin. The eye is similar to the Athenian coin, but a bit wider, with the upper and lower lids more roughly engraved. The leaves on the helmet, as well as the earring are very similar to those on the Athenian coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>Reverse</p><p><br /></p><p>The olive leaves and crescent moon are very well engraved, but than those on the Athenian coin. The owl's head on the imitation is somewhat wider and squarer in appearance. The treatment of the owl's beak differs in design, something that I have seen on other imitative coins. The owl's feet are thickly engraved on the imitation, again something that I have seen on other imitations. The breast feather detail on the imitation is actually very close to that on the Athenian coin, as are the wing feathers. Notice, however, how the middle wing feathers on the Athenian coin have a pronounced curve. That's much more understated on the imitation. There are also differences between the two coins in the treatment of the lower feathers, above the legs. There are also some differences with the AΘE ethnic, with the Athenian coin's letters being somewhat larger, although these differences are quite minor.</p><p><br /></p><p>These are my observations. Perhaps others may have additional information. I'm still learning about these imitative tetradrachms, and given my learning curve, this is a long term project![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="robinjojo, post: 4609081, member: 110226"]That's a beautiful coin, well struck and made of good metal. Absent a pedigree to a hoard, many imitative owls are classified as such based on style. Many are clearly imitative, with marked deviations from the classic Athenian design, while others are much more nuanced. So, let's compare your coin with the one below, an Athenian Tetradrachm, mid-mass production, from the Roma Numismatics E-Sale 55, lot 168, which I acquired last year. I pasted the photo of your coin next to this one for easier comparison. [ATTACH=full]1141540[/ATTACH] [IMG]https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/tet-jpg.1141484/[/IMG] Both coins, on first glance seem almost identical and indeed that was the purpose of the imitation. However, there are differences on further inspection. Obverse On the obverse, the style is flatter on the imitation. Of course, many later production Athenian tetradrachms also have a flatter appearance, as the quality of the dies deteriorated with the failing fortunes of Athens during the Peloponnesian War. On the imitation, there is less detail to the lips and the crest is not a well engraved, treated almost as an after thought. The neck on the imitation is much narrower compared to the Athenian coin. The palmet is thicker, with much less flair. For the hair, both the upper and lower curls are larger and somewhat flatter. The dots for the neck guard on the imitation are larger, compared to the Athenian coin. The eye is similar to the Athenian coin, but a bit wider, with the upper and lower lids more roughly engraved. The leaves on the helmet, as well as the earring are very similar to those on the Athenian coin. Reverse The olive leaves and crescent moon are very well engraved, but than those on the Athenian coin. The owl's head on the imitation is somewhat wider and squarer in appearance. The treatment of the owl's beak differs in design, something that I have seen on other imitative coins. The owl's feet are thickly engraved on the imitation, again something that I have seen on other imitations. The breast feather detail on the imitation is actually very close to that on the Athenian coin, as are the wing feathers. Notice, however, how the middle wing feathers on the Athenian coin have a pronounced curve. That's much more understated on the imitation. There are also differences between the two coins in the treatment of the lower feathers, above the legs. There are also some differences with the AΘE ethnic, with the Athenian coin's letters being somewhat larger, although these differences are quite minor. These are my observations. Perhaps others may have additional information. I'm still learning about these imitative tetradrachms, and given my learning curve, this is a long term project![/QUOTE]
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MECHANISMS FOR THE IMITATION OF ATHENIAN COINAGE : DEKELEIA AND MERCENARIES RECONSIDERED
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