440-404 BC Certified "NGC Choice XF" Ancient "ATHENIAN OWL" Silver "TETRADRACHM"

Description: FOR the complete story, FULL DETAILS and BIG CLEAR PICTURES, Please SEE THE DESCRIPTION 440-404 BC Certified "NGC Choice XF" Ancient "ATHENIAN OWL" Silver "TETRADRACHM" Description This is a beautiful, historic, ancient, silver, "Tetradrachm" or 4 Drachm (pronounced "dram") piece, also more commonly called an "Athenian Owl". It was struck during the "Golden Age of Athens" between the end of the wars with the "King of Kings", Xerxes I and the end of the "Peloponnesian War". After the Greeks chased Xerxes out of Europe, they formed the "Delian League", led by Athens, to fight for the freedom of the Greek cities in Asia minor. Perhaps the most famous of the ancient Athenian statesmen-generals, Pericles, turned the "Delian League" into the "Athenian Empire" and moved the treasury from Delos to Athens. Thus the "Golden Age of Athens" began. more… Numismatic Guarantee Corporation or "NGC" certified "Choice Extremely Fine" with 4/5 strike and 2/5 surface. "Greek Coins & Their Values", Volume 1, by David R. Sear. #2526. Obverse: The Goddess Athena, with frontal eye, wearing crested helmet ornamented with three olive leaves and floral scroll, earring and necklace. Her hair is drawn across her forehead in parallel curved lines. The "Golden Age" saw the building of the temples on the Acropolis including the Parthenon. But the famed democracy of Athens came to treat the other members of the Empire as subject peoples and this led to the disastrous "Peloponnesian Wars" pitting Athens and her still loyal allies against Sparta and hers. Athens lost and the "Golden Age" came to an end. Reverse: Owl standing right, head facing in erect posture. Tail feathers represented by single prong. Olive sprig and crescent behind and the letters Α Θ Ε in front. These "Athenian Owls" became one of the first true "trade coins" in the ancient world. Readily recognized and circulating widely, they were imitated in other places like Samaria and Arabia. Later examples would be the "Spanish Milled Dollars" or "Pieces of Eight" that the U.S. Dollar is based on and the "Maria Theresa Thaler" that still circulates in Africa. Front of the holder. Back of the holder. The Coin: A pleasing example. It saw use and may have been submerged, thus the surfaces. The Athenians were a sea-based Empire and there were lots of naval battles. A supremely important period, the historical stories the coin carries are as important as they come. Even though it has been professionally graded, that is just an opinion and grading is subjective, so please see the pictures and judge for yourself. Remember, FREE SHIPPING! Payment I ship the day after cleared payment. Payment in US funds only please. Returns: Accepted, in original condition, in most cases and encouraged if the item has been misdescribed. If you need more than one week from the close of the sale to make payment, that is not generally a problem, PLEASE, JUST LET ME KNOW when you expect to pay. If No payment and No contact is made, eBay will CANCEL THE SALE on the eighth day. Shipping Shipping for all Items will be FREE! About Us We are long time collectors who enjoys listing things on eBay. We try to give you the best pictures we can and as much information about the item as we can, so you know what you are buying. I try to start auctions for as low a starting price as I can, and still break even. There are eBay, PayPal and Postage fees to cover. Minimum bid normally represents at least a decent value. I believe you have completed your part of the agreement when you pay me, so I LEAVE YOUR FEEDBACK WHEN I SHIP THE ITEM. I appreciate return feedback if you feel I have earned it. Contact Us I will try to respond to email questions within one day. Please ask any questions about the item, or other special requests BEFORE you bid. Pictures sell! Auctiva offers Free Image Hosting and Editing.300+ Listing Templates! Auctiva gets you noticed! The complete eBay Selling Solution. Track Page Views WithAuctiva's Counter

Price: 1069.95 USD

Location: Tucson, Arizona

End Time: 2024-12-01T00:04:56.000Z

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