Owl with Test Cuts
5th–4th Century BC (Classical Period) ・ silver ・ 4th century BC ・ Athens
An Athenian tetradrachm with multiple test cuts. The cuts were made with a blade to check the contents and ensure the coin was not a silver-plated bronze core. The Law of Nikophon of 375/4 BC stipulated that a public slave, the *dokimastes* (assayer), would sit between the money-changers' tables and conduct daily inspections. Counterfeits with bronze or lead cores were to be cut on the spot and consecrated to the Mother of the Gods. This piece, covered in cuts, is a living testament to an era when the credibility of coinage was verified by blade and by law.