Nomos 21

ATTICA. Athens. Circa 449-445 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 23 mm, 16.96 g, 11 h). Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Attic helmet with a small and delicate palmette and three olive leaves. Rev. ΑΘΕ Owl standing to right, head facing and with a relatively long, thin, diagonal body; behind, olive spray and crescent moon. Starr -. Cf. Svoronos pl. 12, 2. Very attractively toned and of fine style. Some pitting on the reverse, otherwise, extremely fine.

From the John Everett Duke Collection, acquired from E. J. Waddell on 25 August 1983, ex Münzen und Medaillen FPL 416, October 1979, 416 and Numismatic Fine Arts I, 20 March 1975, 123.

This coin, which must come from an old collection given its toning, is a rather perplexing piece. The obverse head is extremely close in style to the pre-449 Starr issues – it was compared to Starr 204 on its original ticket – especially given its small palmette. The general appearance of the owl is also close to the Starr owls, except that it is more elongated and its tail lacks the usual pronounced tripartite division. This simply must be one of the very earliest of the soon to be massive Athenian issues struck after 449.