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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;DonnaML, post: 4174902, member: 110350&quot;]When I purchased my one example of an Athenian Owl at the NYINC in November 2007, it was only the second ancient Greek coin I had ever bought (the first being an Alexander III drachm of Philip III Arrhidaeus, which I bought at the late, lamented Harmer Rooke in February 1986 along with a couple of antiquities).&nbsp; I still have only six ancient Greek coins even now!</p><p><br /></p><p>Attica, Athens AR Tetradrachm, ca. 454-393 BCE, Obv. Head of Athena right / Rev. Owl (w/test cut in owl&#039;s face), Seaby 2526v.&nbsp; 25 mm., 16.79 g.</p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;m having trouble getting the color exactly right in trying to photograph the coin, so I&#039;m posting two versions each of the obverse and reverse:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1074765[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1074766[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1074767[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1074779[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>I bought this coin despite the rather symmetrical-looking scratches on the obverse, and the fact that the appearance of the reverse is seriously damaged by the test cut in the owl&#039;s face and whatever that hole is in the owl&#039;s stomach, plus the missing final E in the legend -- and is rather worn to begin with -- because the cost was only $325.&nbsp; Even back then, that was about one-third or less of the price of most of the Owls I saw for sale there.</p><p><br /></p><p>Still, I kind of like the obverse, even though I really can&#039;t tell whether it&#039;s a Classical Owl Type A, B, or C, to use the classifications in the article I posted (see&nbsp; <a href="https://rg.ancients.info/owls/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://rg.ancients.info/owls/" rel="nofollow">https://rg.ancients.info/owls/</a>):</p><p><br /></p><p>Type A Mass Classical Owls, c. 454-431 BC, Athena with a smiling mouth</p><p>Type B Mass Classical Owls, c. 431-393 BC, Athena with a frowning mouth</p><p>Type C Mass Classical Owls, c. 431-393 BC, Athena with a neutral mouth</p><p><br /></p><p>Although I&#039;m pretty sure mine isn&#039;t smiling, so probably it&#039;s Type B or C.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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