Athenian Owl Coin - First Time Buyer

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Author	Replies: 4 / Views: 1,586
EY_Pep Valued Member Canada 123 Posts	Posted 08/16/2011 4:27 pm I love this coin and would really like to have it in my collection. Before I buy one, I was wondering: 1. What could I expect to pay for one of these? (on the low end of the scale, I don't need one in high quality) 2. There seems to be a lot of fakes of this coin. Any recommended sellers? or sellers to avoid? I know it's a popular ancient coin...but I just love the history and the owl. Report this Post to the Staff

Sap Moderator Australia 16857 Posts	Posted 08/17/2011 02:15 am I paid $700 for mine, and it would be towards the low-quality end; it's got nice details but had a harsh cleaning sometime in the past that's left nasty scratches. You can probably get nicer coins for less money, but mine was the only one for sale at an entire coin show I went to a couple of years ago. "Egyptian" owls have deep test cuts in them, and are generally worth less than undamaged coins. I would recommend staying away from ebay generally, and staying away form any seller named on FORVM's Fake Seller List in particular. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis Report this Post to the Staff
EY_Pep Valued Member Canada 123 Posts	Posted 08/24/2011 10:58 am Thanks, that's a little too pricy for me. I have seen some cheap ones on ebay, but I am wary of purchasing a coin that has many fakes out there from somewhere I can't see the coin in hand. I wonder if buying the coin while I'm in Europe may be cheaper? Report this Post to the Staff
Bing Pillar of the Community United States 4253 Posts	Posted 08/24/2011 1:28 pm I travel to Europe at least three or four times per year on business. In most countries, you will be hard pressed to find Ancients for sale. Fakes/tourist fakes aplenty. If you decide to purchase in Europe, generally buy only from licensed dealers. Many countries have antiquities laws that can be tricky, but if you go to reputable dealers you should be OK. I've even heard that if Turkish officials catch you buying fakes they can apply the laws regarding real antiquities. I did buy some coins in Croatia and Italy without difficulty, but be weary. AND, if you do buy from licensed reputable dealers you can expect to pay the price there as well. Good luck and let us know how you do. Report this Post to the Staff
Bacchus2 Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 2889 Posts	Posted 08/24/2011 1:39 pm I've found I can purchase ancients cheaper in the US than here in Europe. I guess that's because the interest is stronger here (if you metal detect you might even be able to dig them up - obeying all the local laws of course). Presumably all dealers buy at the same general source price, so I assume the mark-up by European dealers is more. My Papal States coin collection: https://diadumenian.com/Papal%20Sta...0States.html Medieval coins collection: https://diadumenian.com/Congressofp...0Europe.html Indian Rupee Collection: https://diadumenian.com/Congressofp...0Rupees.html Minor world Silver: https://diadumenian.com/Congressofp...20coins.html Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 4 / Views: 1,586

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