Facebook Pixel

Athenian Owl Tetradrachm NGC MS 10/10

2020-06-16 22:43:00
Athenian Owl Tetradrachm NGC MS 10/10

Athenian Owl Tetradrachm NGC MS 10/10

 

The Athenian Owl Tetradrachms that we are offering today are in Mint State condition. That means that for over 2,400 years these coins have been kept in nearly immaculate condition. Ancient coins were minted by hand. That means the coins were literally struck with a hammer blow. Due to this method of manufacture, no two ancient coins are completely alike and each coin exhibits its own unique character. Ancient coins are graded differently than modern coins. Instead of grading on the Sheldon Scale numeric scale, they are graded on an adjectival scale. For instance, a coin will be graded Extremely Fine instead of XF40, or Mint State instead of MS 60, 61, or 62.

The illustrious reputation of this stunning ancient coin has even had an impact on the United States of America’s numismatic coins. Theodore Roosevelt, the driving force behind the American Coin Renaissance, is said to have carried an Athenian Owl Tetradrachm as a pocket piece. Roosevelt’s very own Athenian Owl Tetradrachm is a testament to his respect for Ancient Greek coinage and is considered to have been the inspiration behind his goal of redesigning United States coinage. Without this iconic tetradrachm design, many American coin designs, including the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle may never have been created.

The Tetradrachm features an image of Athens’ patron goddess, Athena on the obverse. In this image, Athena wears a classic Greek Attic helmet which is decorated with three olive branches. The reverse of this iconic coin featured Athena’s unmistakable symbol of an owl. Behind the owl was a sprig of olive, which referenced the gift that Athena had given to Kekrops in order to become the city’s patron goddess. In front of the owl is an inscription of ΑΘΕ, Alpha, Theta, Epsilon, which was an abbreviation for the word “Athenaion.” This word translates into “of the Athenians.”

Today, this stunning 2,400 year old Athenian Tetradrachm graded Mint State with 5/5 Strike and 5/5 Surface, can be part of your numismatic collection for the low, low price of just $2,795!