My new Pi-Style III (Bingen Pi III), 353 - c. 340 B.C. Attic owl: Demosthenes, the Philippics, and the overwhelming incoming tide of Makedon

[Ryro]

This coin was most likely minted (Pi-Style III (Bingen Pi III), 353 - c. 340 B.C.) during the reign of Philip II of Makedon. This is worth bringing up due to that being when Athens, particularly statesman and Master orator Demosthenes, was rallying against the might of Makedon with his Philippics:

ATTICA, Athens. Circa 353-294 BC. AR Tetradrachm (22mm, 17.20 g, 8h). Helmeted head of Athena right, with profile eye and pi-style palmette / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind. Bingen Pi-style III; Kroll –; HGC 4, 1599.

The Philippics were a series of some of the world's most powerful speeches ever, written and delivered by the Athenian statesman and orator Demosthenes. The "First Philippic" was between 351-350 BC, so around the same year this coin began being minted!

"Throughout his speech, Demosthenes speaks urgently and emotionally to his audience. He warns them that Phillip is power-hungry and eager to expand more. He will not stop. According to Demosthenes, he "is not able to rest satisfied with his present acquisitions, but is ever in pursuit of farther conquests; and while we sit down inactive and irresolute, encloses us on all sides with his toils."

(Philip with both eyes wide open😉)

Of course you may recall around the same time Philip II had warned Sparta, who was refusing to budge and join Philip's league, that if he decided to bring the weight of Makedon down to Sparta he would utterly destroy them. 

Sparta's response was as laconic as anything ever said. It was one word delivered back to the court of Pella. I can only imagine Philip II's face reading the Spartan response, "If."

Big thanks to FORVM and whomever wrote this handy article that helped me get this identified https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=pi-style

 

 

 

Please share your coins of the period, owls, thoughts. Corrections are appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Edited April 29, 2023 by Ryro

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

That's a very nice owl tet!  Well done!  I have no official owls.

[Curtisimo]

Wonderful new addition Ryan. Having a fully visible palmette with the pi shape was my main must-have when searching for mine and yours is fits the bill 100%.

These Pi-style tets are underrated compared to the other era owls IMHO. I got mine last year and love it!

[Ryro]

Thanks @Nerosmyfavorite68! I was shocked at how affordable this coin was🤗

41 minutes ago, Curtisimo said:

Wonderful new addition Ryan. Having a fully visible palmette with the pi shape was my main must-have when searching for mine and yours is fits the bill 100%.

These Pi-style tets are underrated compared to the other era owls IMHO. I got mine last year and love it!

Thanks @Curtisimo the great one! You're has a more pleasing style to my eye. I love it too!

Is yours a pi IV?

My understanding is that these types are not from the recent *last five years or so, hoard find. I believe all those are the 454-404 date range, if memory serves. So, these are a bit more rare as well. 

[robinjojo]

Nice intermediate owls!

Here's a Pi Style IV that arrived from Germany recently.

Athens, intermediate owl, Pi-Style IV,  353 - c. 340 BC.

16.81 grams 

The crack and pits on the cheek is a lamination, a partial separation of the surface from the flan.

[kapphnwn]

Athens Ar Tetradrachm 353-290 BC Obv Helmeted head of Athena right. Rv Owl standing right head facing. HGC 1599 17.17 grms 20 mm Photo by W. Hansen

The floral device on the bowl of the helmet is what gives this type its name as it does resemble the \greek letter pi. This group is seperated by the previous issue of profile eye owls by their unusual method of manufacture. The flans of worn out "mass coinage" tetradrachms were folded over an restruck with this new design. However not all. It would appear that this style of coin was retained long after the supply of worn out tetradrachms were used up. 

[Ryro]

4 hours ago, kapphnwn said:

Athens Ar Tetradrachm 353-290 BC Obv Helmeted head of Athena right. Rv Owl standing right head facing. HGC 1599 17.17 grms 20 mm Photo by W. Hansen

The floral device on the bowl of the helmet is what gives this type its name as it does resemble the \greek letter pi. This group is seperated by the previous issue of profile eye owls by their unusual method of manufacture. The flans of worn out "mass coinage" tetradrachms were folded over an restruck with this new design. However not all. It would appear that this style of coin was retained long after the supply of worn out tetradrachms were used up. 

Thank you for not only sharing your lovely slice of pi-IV or V (I'd guess going off the grid) but also your knowledge. In my excitement of identifying mine as a type III I didn't mention that these types are folded over restrikes! I think I can see the fold on mine at the bottom of the reverse, but am excited to look closer once in hand. 

As @Curtisimo has pointed out, its important for the type to have a fully visible palmette with the pi shape. However, due to the nature of the coins and their manufacture, wonder if there are any full crests out there??

[robinjojo]

Due to the irregular "dumpy" nature of most intermediate owl flans, it is unusual to have any crest design visible.

Athens, Quadridigité intermediate owl, c 286 - 262 B.C., folded flan. From Roma E-Sale 103, lot 245.

17.06 grams

 

Athens  tetradrachm, Pi Style V,  c. 350-294 BC.

17.12 grams

[shanxi]

Attica. Athens
Silver tetradrachm, Ca. 353-297 BC
Transitional Pi-Style
Av: Head of Athena right with profile eye in crested Attic helmet ornamented with three olive leaves above visor
Rv: ΑΘΕ, owl of later style standing three-quarters right, olive sprig and crescent moon behind
AR, 17.01g, 23mm

[Roman Collector]

On 4/29/2023 at 10:57 AM, Ryro said:

Sparta's response was as laconic as anything ever said.

Indeed! Why it's the very definition of laconic! 😉