Athenian Owl Silver Tetradrachm 440 to 404 BCE (NGC Certified About Uncirculated Condition)

This authentic high-grade Athenian owl silver tetradrachm coin is one of the most recognized and sought-after classic coins of Ancient Greece. It serves both as a 2,400-year-old work of art and as a collectible that tells an intriguing story about the rise of Western civilization. This example has been independently authenticated and certified by the Numismatic Guarantee Corporation (NGC) as being in About Uncirculated condition; NGC is one of the largest and most reputable certification services in the world.

This coin features exceptional high-relief images on both sides and is one of the first coins ever to feature detailed designs on both sides. The boldly engraved and deeply struck female image is of Athena, the patron goddess of Athens. The other side features an intricately engraved owl, based on the coat-of-arms of the city of Athens. The image includes an olive sprig and a crescent moon. As every coin was struck by hand and the original dies lasted for only a short time, every coin is slightly different.

While the silver drachm denomination was the primary unit of exchange in the ancient world, Athens created this type of tetradrachm (four drachms) to facilitate large transactions and to pay for extraordinary building projects and military efforts. Similar coins helped to finance the huge fleet that repelled the Persian invasion of 480–479 and then allowed Athens to extend its growing power throughout the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean. This was the golden age of Athens, and sometimes referred to as the Age of Pericles. Coins like this were used to pay skilled workers who built most of the important structures on the Acropolis, including the Parthenon, and they were an integral part of the thriving economy that fostered the unprecedented development of the arts and literature as well as the growth of democracy.

Includes:
• Ancient Greek Athena and Owl Tetradrachm, About Uncirculated