Miletos Obol Fourrée? Really?

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by gsimonel, Jun 24, 2021.

  1. gsimonel

    gsimonel Well-Known Member

    I got this in a small bulk lot. I've never seen one before. It looks like a fourrée obol from Miletos. Although the surface is very dark, it looks like silver, and under a microscope you can see what appears to be a thin layer of metal covering the exposed bronze at around 3:00 on the obverse.
    Miletos.jpg
    How strange. Size is 9mm and the weight is 1.3g.

    Anyone ever seen one of these before?
     
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2021
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  3. JayAg47

    JayAg47 Well-Known Member

    Could be just some surface deposition?
     
  4. gsimonel

    gsimonel Well-Known Member

    Under magnification it looks like the bronze is covered by a thin layer of silver.
     
  5. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    I'm not sure what it is you find strange. An obol had enough buying power to yield a profit to a counterfeiter or mint employee on the 'take' and it is well known that people look more carefully at $100 bills than they do $1paper. The risk of discovery was lower. I would like to know what the smallest fourree is. Mine is larger than yours at 1.5g (a Persian siglos fraction possibly 1/3???). It is well made with thick silver. I have seen but do not have plated fractions of the Croesid bull and lion type. I would love a specialty collection of tiny fourrees but I am sure 99.99% of those made would have rotted to nothing long ago.
    g71442bb2612.jpg
     
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