> Here, believe it or not, is a *fake* coin:
>
> http://rg.ancients.info/misc/Owl_fourree.jpg
>
> Phony as a $3 bill. Ersatz. False. Bogus. But not contraband. And very
> cool.
>
> My latest coin buy -- not my photo, the seller's, because the piece
> hasn't arrived yet. Couldn't wait to show it off. Not the best
> photo, small and fuzzy, so I enlarged and sharpened it a bit.
>
> The coin is a silver-plated copper counterfeit (the jargon is
> "fourree" -- spelled in different ways) of an ancient Athenian Owl
> tetradrachm, about 2,400 years old. No test cuts, which frequently
> appear on Owl fourrees, and on authentic Owls as well.
>
> Also cool is the coloration. The silver plating is only partially
> intact, with much having corroded away as a result of moisture seeping
> underneath it over the millennia. The underlying copper appears as its
> original color or close to it. The green *may* be the border area
> separating the silver from the copper, called the "eutectic" layer, or
> probably more likely it's vertigris, possibly copper acetate judging
> by its bright green color, assuming it appears this way in person as
> well. It'll be fun to have this piece in hand and sleuth some more.
>
> Also uncertain is whether it is in fact a counterfeit. It may be an
> official "emergency issue" Owl issued by the Athenian government at
> the tail end of the Peloponnesian War, which Athens was losing to
> Sparta, with these plated Owls a desperate measure to try to stave off
> defeat. Need to look at it up close as well to try to make this
> determination, not an easy one, based on the styling, particularly
> Athena's eye. I'm leaning right now to its being an unofficial
> counterfeit. And even then, such as judgment can't be foolproof.
> Uncertainty, uncertainty.
>
> This piece was very inexpensive, on eBay, $35 including shipping. I'm
> thinking it'll look better in hand than in this pic. But it'll be a
> steal either way, rough and colorful, boldly proclaiming its history.
> Despite the risks, eBay can still be a bargain hunter's paradise.
>
> --
>
> Email: reidggold@removethisnetaxs.com (delete "remove this")
>
> Consumer: http://rg.ancients.info/guide
> Connoisseur: http://rg.ancients.info/glom
> Counterfeit: http://rg.ancients.info/bogos