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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;robinjojo, post: 8285310, member: 110226&quot;]You&#039;re right about auction house identification when it comes to Starr groups.&nbsp; Here&#039;s an owl currently listed in the Harlan Berk auction/sale 145.&nbsp; It is described as being a Starr Group II owl, but I am inclined to classify it as a Group III, due to the shifting of the palmette more towards the lower part of the first olive leaf, plus the long wing on the owl with both its tip and the tail feathers clearly above the feet.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.hjbltd.com/#!/inventory/item-detail/ancient-coins/99737?fromBbs=219th%20Buy%20Or%20Bid%20Sale" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.hjbltd.com/#!/inventory/item-detail/ancient-coins/99737?fromBbs=219th%20Buy%20Or%20Bid%20Sale" rel="nofollow">https://www.hjbltd.com/#!/inventory/item-detail/ancient-coins/99737?fromBbs=219th Buy Or Bid Sale</a></p><p><br /></p><p>As far as the olive leaves on the helmet are concerned, here&#039;s what Starr has to say about that feature and other features of Group III owls:</p><p><br /></p><p><i>&quot;The first tetradrachms assigned to this group might almost as well go in Group II.C, but distinctions gradually become more apparent.&nbsp; On the obverse the spiral on the helmet curves around on the bowl so as to point downward along the first olive leaf; by the end of the group the palmette is aimed towards the base of this leaf.&nbsp; The leaves themselves are no longer always graduated in size; as a result the right leaf can protrude into the crest </i>[as with my example].&nbsp; <i>Modeling around the mouth of Athena becomes more supple so that the cheek appears rounded. The eye is sometimes very ogival.&nbsp; In some cases the designer seems to have reverted to models of Group II.B, but in these examples the reverse serves to distinguish the later issues.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Changes are, thus, even more obvious on the reverses of the tetradrachms of Group III.&nbsp; The body and the wings of the owl increase in size; from this point onward the wings and tail are almost always above the base line of the claws. As a result the wings rise along the left edge of the die, but they are still completely shown.&nbsp; The two legs are clearly separated, though not in the fashion which will be employed in Group IV. The left leaf of the twig still comes off below the right leaf, but the distance is steadily diminishing; the leaves themselves grow longer. The lettering tends to be rather neat, especially with respect to the epsilon.&quot;</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>Getting back to your coin, the reason I think it is a Group II.A owl is the very compact styling of the owl on the reverse.&nbsp; The owl seems to become longer and more streamlined in subsequent Group II examples.&nbsp; On the other hand, the reverse leaves seem somewhat larger than those in the Group II.A 23 owl, but I think, with these coins, there has to be some latitude when attempting to categorize based on the photos in Starr, and I think the main feature, the owl&#039;s very compact body puts your coin into Group II.A. </p><p><br /></p><p>The styling of Athena&#039;s mouth seems pretty consistent within this group, but again the grainy nature of many of the photos make it difficult to say this in a definitive manner.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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