- ID: 98

Submitter: Jean-Luc

Added: 1997-10-06

MYSIA. Pergamum.

Gold-Stater.
Av.: Youthful head of Herakles to r., wearing lion-skin headdress.
Rv.: Archaic cult figure of Athena standing facing, holding spear in upraised r. hand and holding round shield with a tassel over l. arm, to l. crested helmet, to r. bird (dove?) to r.
8,60 g.

BoC: 21/1, 1996, p.8.

FAKE – Only four or five specimens of this very rare issue are known and the one in Berlin clearly served as the model. The obv. is fairly close to the model though it is by no means a galvano-type copy. The rev. of the counterfeit is more fancyful: The head of Athena is far too large in proportion to the body. A crested helmet is the usual symbol found for this issue, though here the crest does not follow the shape of the helmet. A second symbol can occur, but the strange bird (a dove or chicken) does not make sense.
The general aspect of the coin is of dazzling freshness.