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| Athena's Owl |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) ATTICA, ATHENS c.440-404 BC
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AR Tetradrachm Attica, Athens rv owl, olive spray, moon obv Athena
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NGC XF Strike: 3/5 Surface: 4/5
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I have never collected Ancients but I wanted to own at least one coin that was dated in the "BC" time frame that was Greek (my heritage). This is that coin! I introduce you to Athena and her Owl. This is quite possibly the most popular coin in the antiquities market. It is a gorgeous silver Tertradrachm that NGC has graded as XF. It is a very thick coin with a strong strike of both Athena (obverse) and the Owl (Reverse). The letters on the reverse are the first three letters of Athena's name (Alpha Episilon Theta).
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| Byzantine Gold Coin |
ANCIENT - BYZANTINE (5th CENT AD - 15th CENT AD) BYZANTINE EMPIRE Heraclius+Her.Constantine
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AV Solidus 613-641 Empire Aurora Family Collection AD 613-641. rv Cross.
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NGC Ch AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5
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To further complement my silver Athena's Owl coin in the prior slot, I wanted to own an Ancient that was minted from gold during the Byzantine time frame. I bought this coin at a local coin show. The dealer I worked with purchased it from the Aurora Family Collection and sent this one along with the others for certification.
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| 1611 Mexico 8 Reales |
MEXICO - TO 1823
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8R (16)11MO F PHILIP II (27.40g)
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NGC AU 53
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This silver cob caught my eye one evening and I watched the item for quite some time. Similar coins recovered from shipwrecks are extremely pricey. Not being part of a salvage operation, this particular coin came at a fair price given the pedigree. As the seller describes this Mexican Piece of 8 is a very unique coin! It is also a TOP POP at NGC. My only TOP POP out of all my coins.
From Seller's Listing:
“SUPERB COIN,TRULY MAGNIFICENT. SUPERBLY STRUCK ON A VERY THICK COMPACT AND PERFECT PLANCHET, HEAVY AT 27.4 GRAMS, LIGHT LUSTER WITH NO DEFECTS OR SURFACE PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER. VERY RARE AS SUCH. ONLY TWO MEXICO DATED (NON-ROYAL STRIKES) COB 8 REALES OF ABSOLUTELY ANY YEAR GRADED ABOVE XF BY EITHER GRADING SERVICE- THE OTHER IS AN AU53 DATED 1610 SEEN BY PCGS. ONE DOESN'T NORMALLY THINK OF A COB 8 AS A TROPHY COIN, BUT THIS IS AN EXCEPTION.”
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| 1723 Peru Real |
PERU 1659-1826
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REAL 1723L M
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NGC VF 30
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This is a small coin but a beautiful one! This Real was minted in Lima, Peru. It is my only Peruvian cob within this set. I found this coin at a local coin show and the cross of Jerusalem really stood out on the reverse. It is strong and well centered. There is a fair bit of luster on the obverse coupled with darker patina that provides good definition to the strike.
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| 1732 Bolivia 2 Reales |
BOLIVIA - COLONIAL
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2R 1732P M (6.33g)
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NGC VG 8
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This Bolivian Cob is well worn but the Cross of Jerusalem stands out nicely. It has a lot of character and complements the other cobs in this set.
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| 1746 Bolivia 8 Reales |
BOLIVIA - COLONIAL
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8R 1746P q (26.45g.)
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NGC VF 20
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This coin really captured me when I found it. The Cross on the reverse is very pronounced and it is a heavy cob vs. a 4 Reales at half the weight. It was minted in Potosi and qualifies as a 1746 P-Q Bolivia Felipe V Silver Cob 8 Reales (KM31A variety) graded by NGC as VF-20. Regarding the date, the three digits of "746" are very clear on the obverse and both sides are well struck for this type of coin. This coin is also known as a "Pillar and Waves" coin. Prior to this design, the obverse was stamped with a traditional shield. The "Pillar and Waves" design was extremely popular when in production. I wanted to own a coin from the Potosi mint specifically to capture it's prolific history of silver cob production.
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| 1754 Mexico 8 Reales Pillar |
MEXICO - TO 1823
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8R 1754MO MF SAME CROWNS
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NGC VF 35
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This is a Pillar Dollar minted in Mexico City. The design is part of the evolution of the 8 Reales seen through time. There is much debate as to which is the obverse and reverse for Pillar Dollars. Within the slab, the Pillars show on the obverse along with the date. I kept with this theme when defining my photos above.
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| 1893 Mexico 8 Reales Cap and Rays |
MEXICO - 1823-1909
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8R 1893MO AM
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NGC MS 61
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Having various examples of the "Pieces of 8" or 8 Reales, I thought it would be appropriate to include the "Cap and Rays" design of this denomination that was minted in Mexico. This coin is very pronounced and has a great strike!
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| 1895 Mexico Gold Peso |
MEXICO - 1823-1909
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G1P 1895MO B
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NGC MS 63
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When I first started scuba diving, I found 3 pesos in the Caribbean off the SW of Cozumel. I tucked them into my wetsuit and brought them to surface. They were relatively modern but they glistened at the bottom of the see and were near 100' of depth. Because 3 is my lucky number, I felt a reverence to the find. I can only guess they fell off a boat or were purposely thrown into the sea on a wish. Since that day, I have always wanted to own a Gold Peso. This is that coin. A very beautiful and old gold Peso to complement a unique find that always sits on the tip of memory bank.
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