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 Replies: 11 / Views: 1,471 |
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Valued Member
Canada
114 Posts |
i am considering buying this coin. the price is decent. I dont have much experience with these and would like to know if you think it is authentic and what the value is in this condition. I have never bought from this person so I'm not sure how trustworthy they are yet. thanks for your oppinions in advance. 
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
It's hard to say from the photo, this is one of the most faked coins around. If it was me, I wouldn't take the chance.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2044 Posts |
I wouldn't either, honestly. I try to stay away from certain popular coins, that are also known to be a great deal of fakes.
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Valued Member
 Canada
114 Posts |
I have heard that this one is faked a lot. That's why I'm skeptical. The seller said I could return it but I'm not sure if I would be able to tell even if it was in my hand having nothing to compre it to. I like the fact that it's dirty not shiny but that can be faked too.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
 These are faked a lot, but the copies are usually in better condition than this.  Just from what details I can see, it appears to be a Type B Mass Classical Owls, c. 431-393 BC. Possibly the coin was attacked by horn silver, since removed to the silver core. That might explain the odd coloration--which I don't usually see on badly attacked coins. It would be hard to authenticate from photos alone. Either way, I'm not qualified, even if I've studied this coin in detail. Has the seller provided a weight? In this condition, it should weigh around ~ 16.5 gr or more. A genuine coin in this grade might bring as much as $250, because both the owl and olive sprigs have some detail. Here is a picture of a similar owl tet with this level of corrosion. It weighs 16.62gr.   Edited by DVCollector
02/06/2012 2:01 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1549 Posts |
I suspect it is genuine but I would not buy it based on my non-special level of expertise. |
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Valued Member
Canada
114 Posts |
It is listed as 25 mm. 16.15 grams. It's a little bit light but is a variation of .35 grams within tolerance? I would think that using a different metal would offset the weight a bit more. Is 25mm the right size?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
I think it may be real, but it just had a rough life and that may be why it looks questionable. But I wouldn't buy it either, don't know enough about them and how to spot fakes of these.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
That coin is pretty underweight, even with the damage. If real, it may have been trimmed. The dimensions vary due to flan/strike but these coins are typically high silver content, and the weight normally falls between ~16.85-17.3 grams. Heavier is more desirable to collectors, and underweight coins should be discounted too. I like the reverse, but I would honestly hold out for a nicer depiction of Athena. Price being equal, I would choose a owl tet with test cuts over one corroded and underweight.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
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Valued Member
Canada
114 Posts |
Please explain. I'm trying to learn. What is it about the style that is wrong in your opinion?
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
For what it's worth, here's my take. The weight is rather low for my comfort, even for the corrosion. I do understand why Sel sees problems with style, particularly on the obverse. To my eyes, the obverse lacks a "style", because it's far too gone to provide anything conclusive; we're not looking at coin surfaces here. While I could probably find a near match for the reverse, I'll always have doubts because I can't match the obverse. I do understand how I've wanted a particular coin, that was normally high-priced, where I tried looking past the problems to see what's good about it. However, this is a coin that will always create doubt for the collector, which may only increase over time with more knowledge. Unless this coin is priced cheaply to you, I would suggest stepping back for a moment and looking at others before you decide. I study a lot of these Athens tets, and would be happy to provide you links to coins for comparison, to get a bigger picture--just PM me.  Naturally, none of these are coins I'm selling myself. |
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Replies: 11 / Views: 1,471 |
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Posted 02/06/2012 1:25 pm
