New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

Hi all,
I was asking Andrew to Post his find many times, but he didnt have time - as you can see he is not very active poster here.
As we were both on that hunt a month go- i will take an opportunity to tell you awesome news :

The coin that was found is 160 BC owl tetradrachm (copper or bronze we do not know)

it is somethink like this as i do not have actual picture(we will upload later):



That was found in unexpected area - around takapuna parks. :D

Beat that! :D

And it's real? Not like Poohbears weird fake beach coins?

Well this might be proof that the explorers from Cathage 400BC made it to New Zealand before the Celtis navigators!

It dates at 400BC with the head of Tanit on one side and a Horse on the other with a palm tree.

Now DrunkBrother - you will find that the Greek Tetradrachm that you have illustrated is actually silver and not bronze or copper. The one you have presented the photograph of is also one of the most famous of the ancient coins so let me assure you that if you have found one of them then it will be a liekly to be a fake, stolen or otherwise gained by nefarious means
The head on the coin you illustrate will be Athena.

It is more likely that if you did find a similar genuine ancient coin and it is bronxe or copper then it is a coin of one of the Ptomemy's who were the Greek rulers of Egypt - Cleopatra was I think the last of the line - most likely a very heavy bronze cast coin featuring the head of Zeus Ammon on one side and an Eagle on the other with two words translating to 'Ptolemy King.' The reason I say this is because I have found one of these here in New Zealand myself and know that it was brought back to New Zealand by a returned soldier from the First World War.

The second coin I have presented here is THE exact one I found and know with total certainty that it was brought back to NZ by a soldier who served in Egypt and the Middle East during WWI. The head looks a bit like a jovial father Christmas and is Zeus Ammon facing to the right and the worlds in Greek 'Ptolemy King' the reverse side is an Eagle holding a thunder bolt I think.


I know of two others which have turned up here in New Zealand before the days of the mass importation of ancient coins which many dealers do now. I have also picked up a coin of Herod Agrippa which was brought back to New Zealand by a returned WWI serviceman, another coin of Allectus, (283 - 296 AD) and one of my Uncles brought back a coin from Licinius I (308 to 324AD) when he returned to New Zealand at the end of WWII.

The moral of this story is that it is NOT impossible to find such ancient coins here and they will probably originate from collections and accumulations of coins brought back to New Zealand by First and second World War servicemen who served in Egypt, Sinai, Palestine, Italy, Greece and even in France, Belgium and Germany nopt to mention the British Isles.

Edited by user Tuesday, 6 March 2012 3:39:28 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

How much more do you want - history can be created on demand and tailored to suit what you want to find out or prove...or disprove as the case may be...in other words history to order.

But it isnt proof of anything - people can read what they want into anything they want - proof is not necessarily the truth - after all the scientists paid by the pro wacky baccy lobbiests to prove that wacky baccy is NOT harmful do so with very convincing 'proof' while scientists proven to produce the facts that is harmful do so accordingly.

I am not setting out to prove anything - as for the Treaty? What Treaty? Oh that one...interesting indeed thats its implications can be used to claim lots of things...I think I am supposed to be one of the upholders of said treaty if you want to use that term...personally I dont think I will ever need to fall back on it to claim some sort of inherited or cultural right.

Let me assure you that a good many ancient coins came back with soldiers - Ion Idriess in 'The Desert Column' mentions all about the Light horse soldiers finding Roman and ancient coins, arrow and spear heads and so on. Colonel mFred Waite during two world wars sent back to Otago Museum not only heaps of truly valuable ancient world coins but many crates of other ancient goodies.

Let me also assure you that Grandfather gave their grand kids many old souvenirs and grandchildren took them to school and lost them on the way, at school or on the way home...been there and done that.

Most interesting - it does indeed look genuine - It might be an Athenian coin - Classical and archaic Athens didn't make coinage out of non-precious metals

I would say almost certainly a Soldiers bring back - maybe given to the grandkids and lost!

Interesting - would you like to tell me if this is fake or not? it looks like the same patina as the owl coin - this one is NOT fake - it is an original but oxidation has turned the outer metal into oxide and this oxide can have whitish 'bronze cancer' or 'bronze sickness' which will give a white powder similar to the oxidation of muck metal under the chrome or nickel plating of a fake muck metal coin. The rest of the coin in the case of a heavily oxidized bronze or copper coin will turn green as the copper content turns effectively into a copper oxide like Malachite. It is quite feasible therefore that the coin is genuine whereas Poohbears are definitely fakes.

Note that the coin I have shown is totally original and yet it is green with oxidation with whitish areas.

Edited by user Monday, 9 April 2012 8:16:44 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified