Athenian Owl Medals

The ancient Athenial Owl tetradrachm has been honored as well in modern times by makers of exonumia -- medals, tokens, and commemorative coins. All or part of the Owl design has been featured on many interesting pieces over the years, with those below being just a small sampling. They're from six different continents -- Europe, North America, South America, Australia, Asia, and Africa -- in gold, silver, bronze, and pewter and representing each decade except the 1940s from the 1930s to the 2000s.

The difference between a medal and a token is slight. Both are coin-like devices typically made by nongovernmental organizations. Tokens are more commercial, used in place of money or as promotion and may or may not have a face value. Medals commemorate, typically a famous person or historical event, and have no face value. A commemorative coin is a product of a government and has face value but typically doesn't circulate and is made for sale to collectors.

UNESCO 1978 commemorative bronze medal (116.0g, 59mm).
This large bronze medal features on the obverse a portrait of Aristotle (384-322 BC) based on a sculpture in the Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna, along with the legend ARISTOTELIS (Aristotle) in Greek letters. The reverse depicts an owl from the ancient Athenian Owl, a map of Greece with a star referring to the location of Stagiros in Macedonia, which was Aristotle's birthplace, and a quote from Aristotle that translates into "The energy of the mind is the essence of life." The medal was minted to commemorate the the 2300th anniversary of the Greek philosopher's death in conjunction with a 1978 UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) conference in Paris, where the UN agency has its headquarters. It was designed by Max Léognany, whose last name appears under Aristotle's neck, and cast by the Paris Mint in gold and silver as well as bronze. The medal is beautifully patinated but low relief compared to most medals. The same portrait of Aristotle on the obverse of this medal was used on the reverse of Greek 5 drachmas coins minted from 1976 to 2000.

World Almanac 1968 centennial anniversary silver medal (35.0g, 38mm).
This .999 silver medal was made by the Medallic Art Company for the Newspaper Enterprise Association, publisher at the time of the World Almanac. The obverse of this beautifully crafted medal depicts a map of the world by sinusoidal projection, an open book, and the inscription, "THE AUTHORITY FOR 100 YEARS/THE WORLD ALMANAC/1868-1968." The reverse depicts a Classical Owl and a lamp of knowledge, the latter like the owl symbolizing the quest for wisdom. Two edge inscriptions, not visible in this photo, read, "Medallic Art Company" and ".999+ Pure Silver." The World Almanac was first published in 1868 by the New York World newspaper, then later by Joseph Pulitzer. In 1894 its name changed to The World Almanac and Encyclopedia and then in 1923 to its current name, The World Almanac and Book of Facts. It's currently published by Reader's Digest.

Society of Medalists 1970 40th anniversary bronze medal (168g, 77mm).
This large and stylishly designed diamond-shaped medal, cast in bronze and hand patinated by the Medallic Art Company, was made in 1970 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Society of Medalists. Along with the number "40," the obverse depicts conjoined designs of the obverse of the Society of Medalists' first medal (ruffled grouse) and the reverse of the 80th medal (Apollo 11 astronaut stepping on the Moon). The reverse depicts an owl in relief on the left and intaglio on the right along with the other elements on the reverse of Early Classical Owls. The reverse inscription reads, "Perpetuating the Ancient Art of Medallic Sculpture." The 80 border disks, 40 on each side, represent the 80 art medals issued by the society from 1930 to 1970. The society issued two medals a year until 1995, 129 in all. This particular specimen was one of 657 40th anniversary medals issued in bronze, with 125 issued in silver.

International Conference of Banking Supervisors 1992 bronze medal (200g, 70mm).
This very large, very thick bronze medal was issued for the Seventh International Conference of Banking Supervisors, which was held in Cannes, France, in 1992. The obverse depicts the reverse of a Classical Owl (though it's missing the crescent moon) and a legend in French that translates into "Seventh International Conference of Banking Supervisors, ICBS." The reverse illustrates the Old Cannes harbor and is signed by the designer, J.C. Ammann. "Bronze" appears on the edge in tiny letters. The Owl motif was selected, according to the insert, because it calls to mind money trading, because the owl is an attribute of Athena, goddess of wisdom, and because the keen eyesight of owls is able to detect matters that escape unwitting eyes. The ICBS, which has been held mostly every two years since 1979 to promote cooperation among national authorities in the supervision of international banking, is run by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, in Basel, Switzerland, with members from Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Tasmanian Teachers Credit Union 1988 bronze medal (19.8g, 38mm).
This attractive bronze medal was issued to commemorate the Australian Bicentennial in 1988. The Tasmanian Teachers Credit Union sponsored the Money Room of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, which houses a genuine Owl tetradrachm. The ancient Athenian Owl design was chosen, according to a spokesperson at the museum, because of its historical interest and symbolism. The obverse playfully depicts a modern rendition of this ancient symbol of wisdom. Tasmania is a state of Australia and consists of the island of Tasmania and other surrounding islands south of the Australian mainland. The Tasmanian Devil is a carnivorous marsupial the size of a small dog found exclusively in Tasmania that makes a loud screeching growl.

National Bank of Greece 1966 125th anniversary bronze medal (155g, 70mm).
This large bronze medal was issued in 1966 in commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the National Bank of Greece. It features on the obverse a bust of Georgios Stavros, the bank's founder and first governor. The reverse is signed by the designer, M. Tombros (Michael T. Tombros) of Athens, Greece. The medal was minted by Messrs. Picchiani e Barlacchi of Florence, Italy. The National Bank of Greece, founded in 1841, is the oldest and largest commercial bank in Greece. It issued paper money until the establishment of the Bank of Greece in 1928. Georgios Stavros' portrait also appeared on Greek paper money.

Georges Clemenceau 1931 bronze medal (400g, 90mm).
This huge high-relief bronze medal depicts on the obverse a portrait of Georges Clemenceau, France's prime minister at the end of World War I who lived from 1841 to 1929. The medal was struck in 1931 by the Paris Mint (Monnaie de Paris), France's official mint, and according to a spokesperson at the mint's museum, the reverse of an Athenian Owl was chosen for its reverse to confer honor to Clemenceau because of its symbolism of carefulness, intelligence, and wisdom. It was designed by François-Léon Sicard, a noted French sculptor, and was signed F. Sicard by him on the obverse. The reverse actually depicts the reverse of an Archaic Athenian Owl, which lacks the crescent moon of later and much more common Classical Owls. The reverse legend portrays the Greek letter theta in its modern form, with a horizontal bar instead of a dot in the center.

Iwar Sjögren 1953 bronze medal (90g, 56mm).
This is another large medal using the wisdom symbolism of the ancient Athenian Owl motif to honor an individual, in this case Iwar Sjögren, who was a chief executive officer of Skandia, a multinational Swedish insurance company that was started in 1855 and currently has operations in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Australia. Sjögren, as the medal indicates, lived from 1888 to 1953, and presumably this medal was issued in 1953 or shortly afterward. If you know with certainty, or if you know what 24-XI on the obverse signifies (perhaps November 24th, for what?), please let me know. The obverse depicts a portrait of Sjögren. The reverse, along with an owl from the the ancient Athenian Owl, depicts an oak sprig (instead of an olive sprig), a torch and hour glass, "Klokhet" or "Wisdom," "Kunskap" or "Know-how," "Kultur" or "Culture," "Skandia," two quatrefoils (heraldic representations of a flower with four petals), and C-G for Gösta Carell, the engraver. Another version of this metal was issued in .830 silver.

Banca Nazionale del Lavoro pewter token (45.5g, 43mm).
This darkly toned lead-based pewter token was issued by Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BLN), an Italian bank in Argentina, probably as a promotional item. The owl's body is positioned forward, as on Athenian dekadrachms and some fractions, rather than to the right, as on most tetradrachms. The AQE ethnic on the obverse is missing the A from ancient Owls, and there's no crescent moon. The reverse legend reads, "Your exploits have their reward." Unlike most of the other pieces on this page, it was deliberately made to affect the appearance of antiquity. I'm not aware of when this token was made or the specific circumstances surrounding its issue. If you know, please let me know.

Greek National Archaeological Museum pewter token (3.6g, 20mm).
This pewter token was distributed by Greece's National Archaeological Museum in the 1960s. The reverse of this token reads: "Athens tetradrachm/Fifth century BC." The Roman numeral "III" indicates that this piece is the third of a series of similar tokens from the museum honoring ancient coins. It's unclear what the iconography below the legend signifies. If you know, please let me know. On the obverse, the theta is missing a central dot. The National Archaeological Museum, originally named the Central Museum, was established in 1829, the same year that modern Greece gained independence from Turkey. Residing first on the island of Aegina, it has been situated in Athens since the late 1800s and is Greece's largest museum. The Greek government along with the governments of Italy, Turkey, and other source countries for ancient coins and artifacts are trying to "repatriate" items made in ancient times on ground now governed by these countries that now reside in museums and collections of other countries. Yet Greece's Hellenic Ministry of Culture boasts about how impressive is the National Archaelogical Museum's collection of Egyptian and Near Eastern antiquities.

British Petroleum pewter token (4.1g, 20mm).
This pewter token, which has the same obverse and same flan shape as the above National Archaeological Museum token, was given away with other ancient coin tokens as premiums at British Petroleum petrol (gas) stations in France in the early 1970s. The reverse reads: "The Treasure of Ancient Money, BP Collection, Athenian Tetradrachm, 5th Century BC." Similar tokens, with legends in Dutch, were given away in the Netherlands. I don't know if they were given out in other countries as well. If you know, please let me know. British Petroleum, now known as BP, is a multinational oil company headquartered in London. It had its origins searching for oil in Persia, current-day Iran, in the earlier 1900s and today is the third largest oil company in the world behind ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell.

Geocaching 2008 pewter token (43.8g, 45mm).
Like the above two pieces, this is another pewter token, though it's considerably larger, is new, and was minted in China. It's a nicely designed and crafted token with an antique matte finish honoring ancient Greece with an owl from Classical Owls on the obverse and the Parthenon on the reverse. This and similar tokens, or "geocoins," are used by aficionados of "geocaching," which is a treasure hunting game based on the Global Positioning System (GPS). Participants use handheld GPS units that connect to one of the GPS satellites orbiting the Earth in order to find "treasures" such as this token, which they hide under rocks in the woods and similar places. When you find a cache, you take something from it and replace it with something else. Other items that people hide in these caches include books, software, hardware, CDs, and videos. You can learn more at Geocaching.com. This particular geocoin has a tracking number, which lets people track through this Web site where this token has been and the experiences people have had in finding it.

RCC 2002 bronze token (32.1g, 40mm).
This odd-looking token, consisting of bronze with an antique brass finish, was made for rec.collecting.coins (RCC), a Usenet discussion group about coins, with this being the group's first such token. It was made by Quality Challenge Coins, which produced 121 pieces of this type, and the project was spearheaded by George V. Huse Jr., a participant in the discussion group. The circumstances behind the minting of this token, which I witnessed firsthand, present an interesting example of the issue of Internet misinformation.
Unlike the vast majority of other medals and tokens inspired by ancient Athenian Owl coins, this piece isn't based on the famous Classical Owls of the fifth century BC but the less important New Style Owls of the second and first centuries BC. However, as opposed to the actual ancient coins, Athena is facing left on this token rather than right because Huse was led to believe that if this copy had been made with a right-facing Athena it might be regarded as a forgery or might be modified and sold as an authentic ancient coin. This is despite the fact that this token is considerably larger and heavier than ancient coins of this type, that it's made of a copper alloy whereas the ancient tetradrachms were made of silver (ancient bronzes of this type exist but they're even smaller and are seen far less), that it was manufactured with a modern press and has a perfectly round shape, flat fields, and uniform rims and other design elements as opposed to the irregularity of ancient hand-struck coins, and that it features modern Latin lettering and Arabic numbering, which no ancient Greek coins had because such lettering and numbering hadn't yet come into existence.
What's more, the model used for this token wasn't a genuine New Style Owl because some RCC participants convinced Huse that using a photo from a coin book for design guidance could result in a copyright violation. For some reason no genuine specimens of this common coin type were available for a scan or photo and no attempt was made to ask for the use of anyone's existing photo. So instead a Slavey replica of a New Style Owl tetradrachm was purchased and a scan of it was made and sent to the minter even though Slavey replicas have a reputation at least among those who know ancient coins for their flamboyant exaggeration.
Unlike with genuine New Style Owls, which feature Athena with a pleasant smile or neutral expression, Athena on this piece has an unpleasant scowl. Another anomaly is the obverse legend "Pallas Athene," which never appeared on ancient coins of this type and which misdescribes the Athena that's illustrated. Pallas is one of the many epithets sometimes used as part of Athena's name, in this case signifying an opponent she killed in battle whose name she took. But the epithet used with Athena on New Style Owls in coin books and coin catalogs is Parthenos, not Pallas, as in Athena Parthenos, since the image used on these coins is thought to have been based on the sculpture of Athena by Phidias that stood in the Parthenon. What's more, Athena is much more commonly spelled with an "a" at the end, "Athena" instead of "Athene," in books on numismatics as well as mythology, not to mention being better known this way in the popular culture. Two further anomalies are an owl that's smaller than on authentic New Style Owls and a wreath around the coin's edge that's larger, with the wreath taking up far more space even though the owl by far is the more important design element.
On the obverse, 2002 designates the year these pieces were minted. On the reverse, 1 ember is a fictional denomination, and FD on the amphora (wine jug) that the owl is perched on stands for Flamedrake, which is the name of the dragon that Huse designated as the unofficial mascot of RCC. Among the ironies here is that flames, which are loud and argumentative or insulting posts, are the most destinctive characteristic of these kinds of unmoderated discussion groups, with the loudest and least informed often drowning out others, as here.

Congo 2003 gold commemorative coin (1.3g, 14mm).
This .999 gold proof paid tribute to the 2004 Olympics in Athens. It features a standing lion on the obverse, a symbol of Congo, with the obverse inscription, in French, translating into "Olympic Games 2004 Athens/Democratic Republic of the Congo." The nominal value of this noncirculating legal tender piece is 20 francs but the intrinsic value of the gold is much higher. The reverse depicts an ancient Classical Athenian Owl to honor Greece's ancient tradition. This commemorative coin was minted in 2003 and 2004 by Congo to honor the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, held in Athens, Greece, from August 13 to August 29, 2004. Congo was one of the 201 participating countries. Congo, formerly Zaire, is one of two neighboring countries with "Congo" in their name. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo, or Congo-Kinshasa) is the larger of the two. Sierra Leone also issued commemorative coins for the Athens Olympics that depict an owl from Athenian Owls, two different types, but in both cases the owl is a small subsidiary device.

The Elongated Collectors 1981 15th Anniversary medal (2.5g, 34mm).
This elongated coin was made from a 1926 U.S. Mercury dime to commemorate the 15th anniversary of The Elongated Collectors (TEC) in 1981. The Classical Athenian Owl design is a favorite of TEC, appearing on most of its membership coins. Elongated coins are pressed using a jeweler's mill, with the design engraved into one of its two steel rollers, which imparts the design to the coin and stretches it out. The pressing effect is similar to what happens when you place a coin on a railroad track to be run over by a train. Elongated coins, which are quite legal, are often sold as souvenirs at museum and landmark gift shops, zoos, amusement parks, county fairs, and other touristy locations. Cents are used most often, but other coins and blank copper slugs are used too. The first elongated coins in the U.S. are thought to have been created at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago. The above piece looks similar in hand as in this photo, with the obverse having an orange cast and the reverse being shallowly engraved.

Athenian
Owls

Owl
Fourrees

Owl
Imitations

Owl
Derivations

Owl
Forgeries

Owl
Replicas

Owl
Medals

Owl
Coins

Owl
Paper

Owl
Jewelry

Owl
Figurines

Owl
References

Note: All of the coins illustrated on these pages that are in my possession are stored off site.

		The ancient Athenial Owl tetradrachm has been honored as well in modern times by makers of exonumia -- medals, tokens, and commemorative coins. All or part of the Owl design has been featured on many interesting pieces over the years, with those below being just a small sampling. They're from six different continents -- Europe, North America, South America, Australia, Asia, and Africa -- in gold, silver, bronze, and pewter and representing each decade except the 1940s from the 1930s to the 2000s. The difference between a medal and a token is slight. Both are coin-like devices typically made by nongovernmental organizations. Tokens are more commercial, used in place of money or as promotion and may or may not have a face value. Medals commemorate, typically a famous person or historical event, and have no face value. A commemorative coin is a product of a government and has face value but typically doesn't circulate and is made for sale to collectors.



		UNESCO 1978 commemorative bronze medal (116.0g, 59mm). This large bronze medal features on the obverse a portrait of Aristotle (384-322 BC) based on a sculpture in the Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna, along with the legend ARISTOTELIS (Aristotle) in Greek letters. The reverse depicts an owl from the ancient Athenian Owl, a map of Greece with a star referring to the location of Stagiros in Macedonia, which was Aristotle's birthplace, and a quote from Aristotle that translates into "The energy of the mind is the essence of life." The medal was minted to commemorate the the 2300th anniversary of the Greek philosopher's death in conjunction with a 1978 UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) conference in Paris, where the UN agency has its headquarters. It was designed by Max Léognany, whose last name appears under Aristotle's neck, and cast by the Paris Mint in gold and silver as well as bronze. The medal is beautifully patinated but low relief compared to most medals. The same portrait of Aristotle on the obverse of this medal was used on the reverse of Greek 5 drachmas coins minted from 1976 to 2000.



		World Almanac 1968 centennial anniversary silver medal (35.0g, 38mm). This .999 silver medal was made by the Medallic Art Company for the Newspaper Enterprise Association, publisher at the time of the World Almanac. The obverse of this beautifully crafted medal depicts a map of the world by sinusoidal projection, an open book, and the inscription, "THE AUTHORITY FOR 100 YEARS/THE WORLD ALMANAC/1868-1968." The reverse depicts a Classical Owl and a lamp of knowledge, the latter like the owl symbolizing the quest for wisdom. Two edge inscriptions, not visible in this photo, read, "Medallic Art Company" and ".999+ Pure Silver." The World Almanac was first published in 1868 by the New York World newspaper, then later by Joseph Pulitzer. In 1894 its name changed to The World Almanac and Encyclopedia and then in 1923 to its current name, The World Almanac and Book of Facts. It's currently published by Reader's Digest.



		Society of Medalists 1970 40th anniversary bronze medal (168g, 77mm). This large and stylishly designed diamond-shaped medal, cast in bronze and hand patinated by the Medallic Art Company, was made in 1970 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Society of Medalists. Along with the number "40," the obverse depicts conjoined designs of the obverse of the Society of Medalists' first medal (ruffled grouse) and the reverse of the 80th medal (Apollo 11 astronaut stepping on the Moon). The reverse depicts an owl in relief on the left and intaglio on the right along with the other elements on the reverse of Early Classical Owls. The reverse inscription reads, "Perpetuating the Ancient Art of Medallic Sculpture." The 80 border disks, 40 on each side, represent the 80 art medals issued by the society from 1930 to 1970. The society issued two medals a year until 1995, 129 in all. This particular specimen was one of 657 40th anniversary medals issued in bronze, with 125 issued in silver.



		International Conference of Banking Supervisors 1992 bronze medal (200g, 70mm). This very large, very thick bronze medal was issued for the Seventh International Conference of Banking Supervisors, which was held in Cannes, France, in 1992. The obverse depicts the reverse of a Classical Owl (though it's missing the crescent moon) and a legend in French that translates into "Seventh International Conference of Banking Supervisors, ICBS." The reverse illustrates the Old Cannes harbor and is signed by the designer, J.C. Ammann. "Bronze" appears on the edge in tiny letters. The Owl motif was selected, according to the insert, because it calls to mind money trading, because the owl is an attribute of Athena, goddess of wisdom, and because the keen eyesight of owls is able to detect matters that escape unwitting eyes. The ICBS, which has been held mostly every two years since 1979 to promote cooperation among national authorities in the supervision of international banking, is run by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, in Basel, Switzerland, with members from Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.



		Tasmanian Teachers Credit Union 1988 bronze medal (19.8g, 38mm). This attractive bronze medal was issued to commemorate the Australian Bicentennial in 1988. The Tasmanian Teachers Credit Union sponsored the Money Room of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, which houses a genuine Owl tetradrachm. The ancient Athenian Owl design was chosen, according to a spokesperson at the museum, because of its historical interest and symbolism. The obverse playfully depicts a modern rendition of this ancient symbol of wisdom. Tasmania is a state of Australia and consists of the island of Tasmania and other surrounding islands south of the Australian mainland. The Tasmanian Devil is a carnivorous marsupial the size of a small dog found exclusively in Tasmania that makes a loud screeching growl.



		National Bank of Greece 1966 125th anniversary bronze medal (155g, 70mm). This large bronze medal was issued in 1966 in commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the National Bank of Greece. It features on the obverse a bust of Georgios Stavros, the bank's founder and first governor. The reverse is signed by the designer, M. Tombros (Michael T. Tombros) of Athens, Greece. The medal was minted by Messrs. Picchiani e Barlacchi of Florence, Italy. The National Bank of Greece, founded in 1841, is the oldest and largest commercial bank in Greece. It issued paper money until the establishment of the Bank of Greece in 1928. Georgios Stavros' portrait also appeared on Greek paper money.



		Georges Clemenceau 1931 bronze medal (400g, 90mm). This huge high-relief bronze medal depicts on the obverse a portrait of Georges Clemenceau, France's prime minister at the end of World War I who lived from 1841 to 1929. The medal was struck in 1931 by the Paris Mint (Monnaie de Paris), France's official mint, and according to a spokesperson at the mint's museum, the reverse of an Athenian Owl was chosen for its reverse to confer honor to Clemenceau because of its symbolism of carefulness, intelligence, and wisdom. It was designed by François-Léon Sicard, a noted French sculptor, and was signed F. Sicard by him on the obverse. The reverse actually depicts the reverse of an Archaic Athenian Owl, which lacks the crescent moon of later and much more common Classical Owls. The reverse legend portrays the Greek letter theta in its modern form, with a horizontal bar instead of a dot in the center.



		Iwar Sjögren 1953 bronze medal (90g, 56mm). This is another large medal using the wisdom symbolism of the ancient Athenian Owl motif to honor an individual, in this case Iwar Sjögren, who was a chief executive officer of Skandia, a multinational Swedish insurance company that was started in 1855 and currently has operations in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Australia. Sjögren, as the medal indicates, lived from 1888 to 1953, and presumably this medal was issued in 1953 or shortly afterward. If you know with certainty, or if you know what 24-XI on the obverse signifies (perhaps November 24th, for what?), please let me know. The obverse depicts a portrait of Sjögren. The reverse, along with an owl from the the ancient Athenian Owl, depicts an oak sprig (instead of an olive sprig), a torch and hour glass, "Klokhet" or "Wisdom," "Kunskap" or "Know-how," "Kultur" or "Culture," "Skandia," two quatrefoils (heraldic representations of a flower with four petals), and C-G for Gösta Carell, the engraver. Another version of this metal was issued in .830 silver.



		Banca Nazionale del Lavoro pewter token (45.5g, 43mm). This darkly toned lead-based pewter token was issued by Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BLN), an Italian bank in Argentina, probably as a promotional item. The owl's body is positioned forward, as on Athenian dekadrachms and some fractions, rather than to the right, as on most tetradrachms. The AQE ethnic on the obverse is missing the A from ancient Owls, and there's no crescent moon. The reverse legend reads, "Your exploits have their reward." Unlike most of the other pieces on this page, it was deliberately made to affect the appearance of antiquity. I'm not aware of when this token was made or the specific circumstances surrounding its issue. If you know, please let me know.


		Greek National Archaeological Museum pewter token (3.6g, 20mm). This pewter token was distributed by Greece's National Archaeological Museum in the 1960s. The reverse of this token reads: "Athens tetradrachm/Fifth century BC." The Roman numeral "III" indicates that this piece is the third of a series of similar tokens from the museum honoring ancient coins. It's unclear what the iconography below the legend signifies. If you know, please let me know. On the obverse, the theta is missing a central dot. The National Archaeological Museum, originally named the Central Museum, was established in 1829, the same year that modern Greece gained independence from Turkey. Residing first on the island of Aegina, it has been situated in Athens since the late 1800s and is Greece's largest museum. The Greek government along with the governments of Italy, Turkey, and other source countries for ancient coins and artifacts are trying to "repatriate" items made in ancient times on ground now governed by these countries that now reside in museums and collections of other countries. Yet Greece's Hellenic Ministry of Culture boasts about how impressive is the National Archaelogical Museum's collection of Egyptian and Near Eastern antiquities.


		British Petroleum pewter token (4.1g, 20mm). This pewter token, which has the same obverse and same flan shape as the above National Archaeological Museum token, was given away with other ancient coin tokens as premiums at British Petroleum petrol (gas) stations in France in the early 1970s. The reverse reads: "The Treasure of Ancient Money, BP Collection, Athenian Tetradrachm, 5th Century BC." Similar tokens, with legends in Dutch, were given away in the Netherlands. I don't know if they were given out in other countries as well. If you know, please let me know. British Petroleum, now known as BP, is a multinational oil company headquartered in London. It had its origins searching for oil in Persia, current-day Iran, in the earlier 1900s and today is the third largest oil company in the world behind ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell.



		Geocaching 2008 pewter token (43.8g, 45mm). Like the above two pieces, this is another pewter token, though it's considerably larger, is new, and was minted in China. It's a nicely designed and crafted token with an antique matte finish honoring ancient Greece with an owl from Classical Owls on the obverse and the Parthenon on the reverse. This and similar tokens, or "geocoins," are used by aficionados of "geocaching," which is a treasure hunting game based on the Global Positioning System (GPS). Participants use handheld GPS units that connect to one of the GPS satellites orbiting the Earth in order to find "treasures" such as this token, which they hide under rocks in the woods and similar places. When you find a cache, you take something from it and replace it with something else. Other items that people hide in these caches include books, software, hardware, CDs, and videos. You can learn more at Geocaching.com. This particular geocoin has a tracking number, which lets people track through this Web site where this token has been and the experiences people have had in finding it.



		RCC 2002 bronze token (32.1g, 40mm). This odd-looking token, consisting of bronze with an antique brass finish, was made for rec.collecting.coins (RCC), a Usenet discussion group about coins, with this being the group's first such token. It was made by Quality Challenge Coins, which produced 121 pieces of this type, and the project was spearheaded by George V. Huse Jr., a participant in the discussion group. The circumstances behind the minting of this token, which I witnessed firsthand, present an interesting example of the issue of Internet misinformation. Unlike the vast majority of other medals and tokens inspired by ancient Athenian Owl coins, this piece isn't based on the famous Classical Owls of the fifth century BC but the less important New Style Owls of the second and first centuries BC. However, as opposed to the actual ancient coins, Athena is facing left on this token rather than right because Huse was led to believe that if this copy had been made with a right-facing Athena it might be regarded as a forgery or might be modified and sold as an authentic ancient coin. This is despite the fact that this token is considerably larger and heavier than ancient coins of this type, that it's made of a copper alloy whereas the ancient tetradrachms were made of silver (ancient bronzes of this type exist but they're even smaller and are seen far less), that it was manufactured with a modern press and has a perfectly round shape, flat fields, and uniform rims and other design elements as opposed to the irregularity of ancient hand-struck coins, and that it features modern Latin lettering and Arabic numbering, which no ancient Greek coins had because such lettering and numbering hadn't yet come into existence. What's more, the model used for this token wasn't a genuine New Style Owl because some RCC participants convinced Huse that using a photo from a coin book for design guidance could result in a copyright violation. For some reason no genuine specimens of this common coin type were available for a scan or photo and no attempt was made to ask for the use of anyone's existing photo. So instead a Slavey replica of a New Style Owl tetradrachm was purchased and a scan of it was made and sent to the minter even though Slavey replicas have a reputation at least among those who know ancient coins for their flamboyant exaggeration. Unlike with genuine New Style Owls, which feature Athena with a pleasant smile or neutral expression, Athena on this piece has an unpleasant scowl. Another anomaly is the obverse legend "Pallas Athene," which never appeared on ancient coins of this type and which misdescribes the Athena that's illustrated. Pallas is one of the many epithets sometimes used as part of Athena's name, in this case signifying an opponent she killed in battle whose name she took. But the epithet used with Athena on New Style Owls in coin books and coin catalogs is Parthenos, not Pallas, as in Athena Parthenos, since the image used on these coins is thought to have been based on the sculpture of Athena by Phidias that stood in the Parthenon. What's more, Athena is much more commonly spelled with an "a" at the end, "Athena" instead of "Athene," in books on numismatics as well as mythology, not to mention being better known this way in the popular culture. Two further anomalies are an owl that's smaller than on authentic New Style Owls and a wreath around the coin's edge that's larger, with the wreath taking up far more space even though the owl by far is the more important design element. On the obverse, 2002 designates the year these pieces were minted. On the reverse, 1 ember is a fictional denomination, and FD on the amphora (wine jug) that the owl is perched on stands for Flamedrake, which is the name of the dragon that Huse designated as the unofficial mascot of RCC. Among the ironies here is that flames, which are loud and argumentative or insulting posts, are the most destinctive characteristic of these kinds of unmoderated discussion groups, with the loudest and least informed often drowning out others, as here.


		Congo 2003 gold commemorative coin (1.3g, 14mm). This .999 gold proof paid tribute to the 2004 Olympics in Athens. It features a standing lion on the obverse, a symbol of Congo, with the obverse inscription, in French, translating into "Olympic Games 2004 Athens/Democratic Republic of the Congo." The nominal value of this noncirculating legal tender piece is 20 francs but the intrinsic value of the gold is much higher. The reverse depicts an ancient Classical Athenian Owl to honor Greece's ancient tradition. This commemorative coin was minted in 2003 and 2004 by Congo to honor the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, held in Athens, Greece, from August 13 to August 29, 2004. Congo was one of the 201 participating countries. Congo, formerly Zaire, is one of two neighboring countries with "Congo" in their name. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo, or Congo-Kinshasa) is the larger of the two. Sierra Leone also issued commemorative coins for the Athens Olympics that depict an owl from Athenian Owls, two different types, but in both cases the owl is a small subsidiary device.



		The Elongated Collectors 1981 15th Anniversary medal (2.5g, 34mm). This elongated coin was made from a 1926 U.S. Mercury dime to commemorate the 15th anniversary of The Elongated Collectors (TEC) in 1981. The Classical Athenian Owl design is a favorite of TEC, appearing on most of its membership coins. Elongated coins are pressed using a jeweler's mill, with the design engraved into one of its two steel rollers, which imparts the design to the coin and stretches it out. The pressing effect is similar to what happens when you place a coin on a railroad track to be run over by a train. Elongated coins, which are quite legal, are often sold as souvenirs at museum and landmark gift shops, zoos, amusement parks, county fairs, and other touristy locations. Cents are used most often, but other coins and blank copper slugs are used too. The first elongated coins in the U.S. are thought to have been created at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago. The above piece looks similar in hand as in this photo, with the obverse having an orange cast and the reverse being shallowly engraved.

ModernOwl Exonumia

Modern
Owl Exonumia