Got this 2 Oz Athena owl from an American eBay seller last month before the exchange rates went up, and only received it now. I can only dream of owning an ancient owl in 'pristine' conditions, but also didn't want to spend thousands on such a common coin, so this hunk of a silver round made up for the gap. It was produced by Intaglio Mint, they actually struck these coins in high relief by placing each blanks by hand, copying the original details as much as possible rather than adding their own inputs, which made it look more authentic (other than the micro stamp of purity under the owl's leg, which actually is not distracting). Next to it is my actual owl tetradrachm in it's humble condition. Definitely my new fondle piece! I wonder what I could by with this 2 oz 'Dekatessaradrachm' in the markets of Athens back in the day?! Please post any owls or modern replicas that you have!
Fine silver probably woulda looked a bit strange back then. Way too shiny, and a forgery would land you in prison or death!
