Posted on 08/13/2005 11:44:21 AM PDT by blam
They're mine. I buried them and forgot where I dug the hole. Who do I call to claim them?
1-800-don't axe Gary
Call the Athens police, they'll tell you where to go.
To me, it looks like it is only three coins. Upper row is the obverse. Face of Athena, maybe? The lower row is in the same order, showing the reverse, with the Athenian owl, and "A-Th-E" in Greek letters.
What is odd to me is that the two end ones have the reverse image skewed, rather than either 'upside down' (like our Washington quarters*) or the top of both heads facing the same edge.
*Hold a quarter with George rightside up, index finger on the top, and thumb on the bottom, so it can rotate, and turn it around that axis so the the eagle (or state logo) is facing you; it is upside down. If it isn't, check again VERY carefully, then head for a coin dealer, as there are some rare ones that were struck with the reverse 'upside down' so the 'top' of both images is toward the same edge.
Athena was a goddess, and for such unflattering portraiture (remember her part in Paris' apple story?) would have obliterated the city and probably sunk the site under the Aegean sea... I am not sure that these are the same 3 coins depicted. Before the introduction of mechanical coin presses the alignment of obverse and reverse was always haphazard, as the die was held by human hand.
I doubt anyone would look good, if they hade been buried almost 2,500 years.
From the article: The discovery at the Athens Agora -- the chief marketplace and ancient center of the city's civic life...
The Mint has been located in southeastern corner of the Agora because some of the materials of minting were found near this building. Athens was famous for its coinage.
On the obverse there is the head of Athena. On the reverse, the owl (associated with Athena), a sprig of olive (sacred to Athena) upper left and alpha (A), theta (TH), epsilon1 (E), the first three letters of Athena and Athens.
(Now, THAT is an 'ugly goddess image!)
More detail, including pictures of Athenian coins of different ages including approximately those of the article: Link
Looks familiar. Ah hah...
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Some of the temples had small treasuries where the offerings were kept. There was one on the Acropolis itself as I recall and also I remember seeing one at the ruins in Delphi. The Acropolis overlooks this site. There is major excavation going on in the agora area now and some new buildings have been discovered in recent years. There is a small, very nicely preserved temple within view of the reconstructed agora colonade and I don't doubt others existed in the area. Clearly there was a lot of commerce and religious activity in this area, so money was probably banked there in one of the buildings.
OH--MY--GOSH, that is so funny! LOL!
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