Sale: Nomos 7, Lot: 92. Estimate CHF10000.  Closing Date: Tuesday, 14 May 2013.  Sold For CHF8500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ATTICA, Athens. Circa 440s BC. Drachm (Silver, 4.25 g 2). Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Attic helmet adorned with olive leaves and palmette turned upwards. Rev. ΑΘΕ Owl standing right with head facing; to left, olive spray; all within incuse square. Kroll 10b var. Svoronos pl. 11, 21 var. Very rare. A very attractive early drachm. Some very minor roughness, otherwiwse, Extremely fine.

From the collection of Reeve Schley Sr.

This lovely drachm must have been struck just after the end of the last ‘Starr’ issues: the owl is still compact, rather than having the elongated body that began to appear in the following decades. The possibility that this coin appeared in an illustrated sale of the early 20th century is likely; its owner, Reeve Schley Sr. (1881-1960), was a New Jersey banker and politician who, according to family history, collected ancient Greek coins prior to World War I.