11094

Attica, Athens. 430-404 B.C.

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:500.00 - 800.00 USD
Attica, Athens. 430-404 B.C.
Attica, Athens. 430-404 B.C.<p> AR tetradrachm. Head right of Athena wearing crested helmet/Owl standing right, head facing. 17.11 g. Dewing 1612, Svoronos plate 16, 9. EF with light mark on cheek. Since precious metal coins had such immense buying power in ancient times, their weight was very carefully adjusted so that only a few hundredths of a gram would separate one coin's weight from the next to be struck. Most Greek silver and gold coinage, then, is said to be minted "al pezzo," or by the piece. Very small denominations and those of copper alloy were struck "al marco," or by the mark, when a certain number of coins were created from a large weight of metal. Roman silver and bronze coinage was mostly struck al marco, as the size of the planchet was adjusted by eye. For instance, 96 of Constantine the Great's silver siliquae were minted from a Roman pound, or libra, of silver. The abbreviations for the venerated English denominations pound, shilling, penny come from the Roman Libra, solidus and denarius.From the Collection of Dr. Joseph M. Seventko. Important notice: We expect to be auctioning lots at the rate of 200-250 per hour. Sometimes eBay Premier live bid software cannot keep up with that pace, so we strongly recommend that you place a realistic proxy bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Also please note that all Heritage/CAA lots purchased through eBay Premier carry a 20% Buyer's Premium. Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions.