Lucania (southern Italy), Ionian colony Siris, Tetradrachm about 520 B.C. Original creation by Carl Wilhelm Becker.Cu, obverse
Siris was a Greek colony which at one time attained to a great amount of wealth and prosperity; however, its history is extremely obscure and uncertain.
D. = 28 mm. 18.69 g Ag
Standing Bull l. looking back. In ex and at l.: "MZPZNOM"/ Bull incuse standing r., and looking l. In exergue and at r.: "PVXOEM. Forrer I, p.145, no. 11; Sir George Hill, Becker the Counterfeiter, no. 11.
Medallist:
Carl Wilhelm Becker, 1771 Speyer - 1830 Bad Homburg, Germany
Becker was one of the most skilful counterfeiters of ancient coins of all times. The dies of his Greek counterfeits now belong to the Berlin Bode Museum. The Bode Museum is one of the group of museums on the Museum Island in Berlin. Originally called the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum after Emperor Frederick III, the museum was renamed in honour of its first curator, Wilhelm von Bode, in 1956. It is part of the Berlin State Museums. In 1999, the museum complex was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
Condition:
The original silver strike by Becker had been "taken for a drive" with iron fillings in a box attached to the wheel of his carriage. So it looks a bit worn in comparison to the copper strike from the original dies.Relevante Bilder
Relevante Artikel
Karl Wilhelm BeckerKarl Wilhelm Becker, auch Carl Wilhelm Becker und teilweise bekannt als Antiken-Becker, war ein deutscher Numismatiker, Medailleur, Münzfälscher, Bibliothekar und Kaufmann. .. weiterlesen