THE AMAZING ATHENIAN TETRADRACHM

The Athenian owl is considered one of the greatest coins, not only because of its beauty, but because of its elegant design — head of Athena on the obverse, iconic owl image on the reverse, and identifying inscription — making it the prototype for centuries of coins worldwide.

There are several types of Athenian owls, with the first appearing circa 510 BCE. The owl graced Athenian coinage for centuries. The earlier designs, though highly collectible, are a far cry from the classical artistic standard beginning in 465 BCE and flourishing between 440-404 BCE.

The Athens tetradrachm [features] the obverse depiction of Athena, the Olympian goddess of wisdom and war.

 

Here is the Athenian owl reverse with olive spray (representing olive oil and peace — a gift from Athena) with a crescent moon and inscription ?T?, an abbreviation of ?T?????? (The Athenians).

 

As you can see, the above coin has a test cut to make sure it is not a fourrée or silver-plated base metal counterfeit from ancient times. Below is an example of an owl fourrée from the Heritage archives, which also has a test cut, revealing its counterfeit composition.

 

Test cuts appear on many ancient coins. Precious metals were especially desirable not only for coins but also for use in jewelry, ornamental, and religious objects. Silver from the great mines at Laurian, about 50 kilometers from Athens, played a central role in the rise of the city-state, underwriting a great navy and powerful military.

To read the complete article, see:
The amazing Athenian tetradrachm (https://world.mintnewsblog.com/2022/11/the-amazing-athenian-tetradrachm/)

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