500 Years of the Athenian "Owl": an Introduction

Please consider a donation to the ANS or becoming a member. Visit us at http://numismatics.org/membership/ In this video ANS Chief Curator Dr. Peter van Alfen reviews the long history of Athenian silver coinage, from its beginnings in the mid-sixth century BC under the tyrant Peisistratus to the culmination of Athenian silver coin production under Roman control in the first century BC. Search the ANS’s collection of Athenian coinage: http://numismatics.org/search/results... Coins seen in this video: Wappenmünze with wheel, ca. 530 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/194... Wappenmünze with horse’s rear end, ca. 530 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/194... Gorgoneion, ca. 525 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/194... “Owl” tetradrachm, ca. 515–480 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/195... “Owl” tetradrachm, ca. 460 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/194... “Owl” decadrachm, ca. 460 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/196... “Owl” tetradrachm, ca. 430 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/199... Syracusan tetradrachm, ca. 410 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/199... “Pi-style” owl tetradrachm, ca. 350 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/194... “Four-fingered” style owl tetradrachm, ca. 280 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/194... “New Style” owl tetradrachm, ca. 150 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/194... Roman-period owl tetradrachm, ca. 70 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/194... For further reading: The Athenian Empire: Using Coins as Sources: http://services.cambridge.org/us/acad... See also Peter van Alfen’s overview of Athenian coinage in this volume: https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/... Please visit our online bookstore: http://numismatics.org/store/​ Check out the exciting offerings in our new eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/usr/american-num...