Nomos 24

ATTICA. Athens. Circa 500-490 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 22 mm, 17.25 g, 5 h). Head of Athena to right, wearing an Attic helmet with a prominent dotted zick-zack crest holder, a simple necklace and a disc earring. Rev. ΑΘΕ Owl with closed wings standing right, head facing; behind, in the field to left, olive sprig with a single berry and two leaves; traces of an incuse squad. Asyut Group IVa. Seltman Group Gi/ii, uncertain dies, but cf. A130, and P186. Cf. Svoronos pl. 4, 34. Bold and attractive. About extremely fine.

From the Collection of a Nobleman who died in 1940.

The reverse of this coin is quite curious since there is no sign of the expected incuse square. This may mean that the square was exceptionally large, that it somehow broke away, or that it was never there. This last possibility might go with the very unusual, but known, placement of the alpha on the reverse - at the level of the owl's neck, rather than above the head. This probably has no iconographic or chronological meaning, rather it was doubtless due to an inventive die engraver!