Use this path when a coin is described as an Athenian owl, an early Attic issue, or an Aeginetan turtle and the citation is old or abbreviated. Start with Seltman for archaic Athens and die-group arguments, then use BMC Attica for British Museum catalogue numbers, specimens, weights, and plates.
Beulé is especially useful for the nineteenth-century classification of Athenian coinage before Seltman. Hands is a compact orientation tool when the question is not yet a catalogue number but a broader identification problem.
Recommended Works
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Athens: Its History and Coinage before the Persian Invasion Charles T. Seltman · 1924 · English · Handbook / Manual Seltman presents a die-based reconstruction of Athenian coinage before 480 BC, linking changes in fabric, types, weight, and production to the political history of archaic Athens. The... 24 plates - 2
A Catalogue of the Greek Coins in the British Museum: Attica, Megaris, Aegina Barclay V. Head · 1888 · English · Regional and Civic Catalogue This volume catalogues the British Museum’s holdings from Attica, Megaris, and Aegina. It concentrates on Athenian owls, Aeginetan turtles, and neighboring civic issues; useful for early... 25 plates BMC Attica - 3—The Coins of Athens Ernest Beulé · 1858 · French · Handbook / Manual Beulé presents one of the earliest systematic studies of Athenian coinage, arranging owls and related issues by style, fabric, denomination, and historical period. The book is useful for...
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Common Greek Coins, Vol. I Alfred Watson Hands · 1907 · English · Handbook / Manual Hands focuses on widely encountered Greek series rather than rare types, including Athenian owls, Corinthian pegasi, Aeginetan turtles, Boeotian federal coins, Alexander tetradrachms, and...