Description: Owl of Goddess Athena Authentic Genuine Ancient (2300+ years old!) Classical Hellenistic Silver Athenian Tetradrachm Coin, set in a 925 Solid Sterling Silver Pendant. 925 Solid Sterling Silver Popcorn Chain Included.ATTICA. Athens. circa 454-404 BC. AR Tetradrachm. Obverse: Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet ornamented with three olive leaves above visor and spiral palmette on bowl, round earring with central boss and pearl necklace. Reverse: Owl standing to right with head facing, olive sprig and crescent behind, ΑΘΕ before; all within incuse square. Reference: HGC 4, 1597. Provenance: Savoca Coins Auction House.Pendant's approximate diameter is 24 mm. Chain's length is 24". Shipping fee: $4.99. Thank you for visiting. HISTORICAL FACTS:In Greek mythology, a little owl (Athene noctua) traditionally represents or accompanies Athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom, or Minerva, her syncretic incarnation in Roman mythology. Because of such association, the bird – often referred to as the "owl of Athena" or the "owl of Minerva" – has been used as a symbol of knowledge, wisdom, perspicacity and erudition throughout the Western world. Fifth century Athens has long been considered the “golden age” of the Greeks. It was the time of Pericles and the birth of the concept of democracy. The model of democracy as we know it today is largely based on the principles set forth in Athens at that time. What started out as a combined effort of the Greek city-states to defeat the Persians ended with Athens as the clear authority of the area not unlike our own United States in terms of prestige and power.Part of the refocus certainly began in 454 BC when the Delian League moved the treasury from the island of Delos to Athens. Additionally the mines located at Laurium and the continuous tribute paid to Athens from the Greek city-states resulted in a huge proliferation of Athenian owl tetradrachms. The number of coins is purely hypothetical but it must have been in the millions considering the ubiquity of the type. Today the tetradrachm of Athens is considered one of the hallmarks of the Greek coin series. There still is no definitive die study on these coins for the simple fact that their numbers are far too great for most scholars to tackle. Their contemporary use is also still debated: what they were primarily used for and whether the Athenians collected coinage from other city-states and reissued them as Athenian owls. These are questions that remain for the scholars of tomorrow. Tetradrachms of Athens are beautiful types that show how Athens changed throughout their years as a superpower. The earliest of Athenian coinage (c. 510 BC) reflect an archaic looking Athena with a small, dumpy owl on the reverse. The gradual change of the archaic Athena to the Classical Athena occurs around the time of this coin (c. 454 BC). The coinage continues to keep the theme of Athena/owl for all of its existence. Even when Athens became subservient to Rome the coinage reflected a “new style” with a flatter, larger flan but still maintained the everlasting image of Athena and the owl. The beautiful coins of Athens will forever hold a unique place in the history of democracy and coinage.
Price: 549.95 USD
Location: Orlando, Florida
End Time: 2024-08-05T15:42:16.000Z
Shipping Cost: 4.99 USD
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Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Denomination: Tetradrachm
Cleaned/Uncleaned: Cleaned
Historical Period: Greek (450 BC-100 AD)
Composition: Silver
Provenance: Ownership History Available
Year: 454 - 404 BC
Era: Ancient
Country/Region of Manufacture: Greece
Date: 454-404 BC
