Athenian Owl Tet Census

ya they are very pretty, my favorite too, I love the classical period owls, even tho they were mass produced , they're beautiful coins

They were an international currency, so expect that LOTS from all mints were struck. Much scholarly research has been done on these, including die-linking within the production from the various mints.

I have no doubt that at least some comment has been made in the course of this research on the number that have survived in top condition. It would require a published document review of most of this research, looking for comments on survival rates for those in top condition, to get an idea of those survival rates. That would be a scholarly research in it's own right.

With ancient coins the condition term 'Uncirculated' or 'MS' is not used. The condition term you will most likely to find is 'As struck'.

How many survived in 'as struck' (uncirculated / MS) condition would be only a side issue in the main body of research on these tetradrachms.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am tempted to think that special attention should be given to determine if they are fakes or not, of any Macedonian tetradrachm or gold stater, struck inside or outside of Macedon, proporting to be in Good EF or better.

One is tempted to think that are high quality fakes, made from good silver. I have seen too many coins like this available at public auction, not to be at least a little suspicious.

Gold especially, is a very soft metal and I find it hard to believe that almost most of them were just minted and immediately stored, never to circulate. They just seem to be much more common in top grades than they should be, though never questioned, even when offered for sale by the best auction houses.

ya I've seen a report that estimated if I remember correctly 8,000-17000 classical owls of all grades using some kind of program calculating many variables. I figured auction records for high grade owls would probably show some kind of perspective if someone were keeping tails . do you regret selling it Bob?

This is my Owl, an archaic one... I would like to get a new style one too but cannot find one in budget which is to my taste. One will come along, its just a case of being patient, and taking the financial punishment on the chin when I see the one I want.

ya very nice coins, I collect colonials but the owls got me interested in ancients. they say the crest adds value to them, but Imho I think they look more attractive without it

I think it is nearly impossible to calculate the number of strucked coins . For that , you have to know the number of the dies for each type of Athenean tetradrachme , then the number of coins strucked with each die and then made a good estimate of coins that survived 25/20 centuries ; Imposseible , I think . We als coan not compare the hoars ofthis coins and the hoards of late Roman AE coins , these were struck in a nearly unlimited number .I don t know if there is a reference work like this of Crawford for Roman republican coins , there for every coin the number of known dies is given and could it be possible to make an estimate of struched coins .
#Eng5858 : your third coin is an AE 15/16 ofPergamon in Mysia , struck obout 200/133 BC - refBMC196 .In the upper part you read : ATHENAS , under the owl : NIKEPHOROU the magistrates name , under the wings left : K right : S .





25 mm , 17.1 gr , 10 h , 449-412 BC . albert