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...and some are collectible in their own right.


KYRENAIKA, Kyrene
modern copy by electrotypist Robert Ready
host coin, c. 410-400 BCE, acquired by the British Museum in 1872
AR "tetradrachm", 27 mm, 16.64 gm
Obv: Bearded head of Zeus-Ammon, wearing tainia with uraeus-like ornament at forehead, facing slightly left within laurel wreath
Rev: silphium plant; K V P A N A (split between fields, retrograde K)
Edge: initials R R
Ref: BMC 77 (host coin); B.V. Head. A guide to the principal coins of the Greeks, from circ. 700 B.C. to A.D. 270. London. 1965 pl. 20, 61 (host coin); host coin BM accession number 1872,0709.361; B.V. Head. A Guide to the Select Greek and Roman Coins Exhibited in Electrotype, London. 1880. Period III C #44.

The host coin is one that would be virtually impossible to obtain. A copy is the only option. This electrotype itself has historical interest so I see it as a worthwhile acquisition.

In 1859 Robert Ready was hired by the British Museum to make copies of rare and noteworthy coins. Initially he replicated the coins by casting but then began using the relatively new technique of electrotyping. For a quick overview of that process, check out this animated video showing how an intricate silver vase was replicated by electrotyping.

The host coin for my Kyrene electrotype tetradrachm was acquired by the British Museum in 1872. The original coin, from the BM's website:




The mold for this electrotype was likely made between 1872 and 1880, since the electrotype version is cited in B.V. Head's A Guide to the Select Greek and Roman Coins Exhibited in Electrotype, London, 1880 (Period III C #44). The author notes this about the electrotyped coins chosen for this book:

"This series gives at the same time a view of the finest and most interesting Greek coins in the National Collection."

The replica has the maker's initials on the edge:



Ready trained his sons to continue the electrotyping and such replicas were continued into the first decade of the twentieth century.

At the time it was made, this electrotype could be purchased for 2s. 6d. each, which if I understand the strange British monetary system of the day, was 2.5 shillings or ￡0.125. After running the figures through Bank of England's inflation calculators, my purchase price this month was only ~1.85% more than 140 years of inflation. I calculated that to feel better about what I had to pay for it

This was my sole bid in the most recent CNG e-auction. Knowing that it was likely to be Clio'd, I changed my bidder name to a plea and bid an hour before closing in the hope that he would see it, laugh, and show mercy. Apparently it worked!

 

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That user name is hilarious. The host coin is so fabulous an old reproduction of it is worthy of purchase. I would have bought that.

Here is my Kyrene nomos I have shown soooo many times.

 

It's FAKE!!

Are you going to dye your hair blonde and get implants too?

All kidding aside, congratulations! I've eyed a few BM electrotypes myself, from time to time. You might be pushing me over the edge here.

 

Hey JA, go fake yourself

These Robert Ready electrotypes usually bring strong prices. In the same auction an "EL stater" electrotype closed at $425, a Katana Apollo-facing "tetradrachm" $750, and Akragas "tetradrachm" $575, and a Syracuse "dekadrachm" $2100 . I got off easy.

 

To outbid you after that charming plea would have been inexcusable LOL

I agree some 'electrotype replicas' are well worthwhile as collectibles, especially those that only one or two of our group could ever own---and yours is gorgeous!!

I've posted my example several times and since the original would go for well into 4 figures, not one I'm likely to own otherwise.

Electroplate Silver Tet replica of Lebedos, Ionia circa 160 BC....

 

It's not hard to see why that coin made the BM's selection. It's pretty darn amazing, and so is that electrotype!

 

Don't let JA give you any guff. Thats a beautiful replica and I would have bought it if the price was within budget.

 

@TIF , I hate to be the one to break it to you, but that's a fake.

OK, all kidding aside, it is a beautiful coin with an amazing history. The fact that the maker put his initials to make sure no one could mistake it with an authentic coin, makes it even more desirable in my book. It was tastefully done for academic research, and not to deceive.

Oh, and awesome bidding handle name idea. Glad it worked for you.

 

Very nice! I would gladly make this a part of my collection. Comparison with the host coin really illustrates one of the limitations of the electrotype process: soft details. I'm assuming there's a visible casting seam or sprue somewhere on the edge, too? Were these coins "antiqued" as part of the production process, or is the toning on the coin a result of it being 140 years old?

 

Do we have a photo of the original coin which I assume is still in the BM? The comparison would be interesting. An electrotype should preserve more detail than any other replica process. This one shows what I suspect is corrosion or die rust on the original so it would be great to see the two together.

In my mind, I would prefer an electrotype of a less popular or less well known coin but the prices show more people wanted the dekadrachm. These were made to exhibit in other museums or to order for people willing to buy one. A half crown was a good amount of money in the day. I suspect there are some with a number of surviving copies and others that were made only rarely.

 

The second set of images (individual obverse and reverse) are the original coin-- images from BM's website, link provided in the paragraph preceding the image.

Exam with naked eye and camera doesn't show the seam (or sprue scar) but I haven't examined it thoroughly. It certainly looks well-crafted. I don't know whether the Ready electrotypes were routinely patinated. That's a good question and I'll keep an eye out for the answer.

 

I should read better. It is amazing how well the fine texture or roughness was copied. I wonder what the least impressive coin copied was.

 

Wow, there were some gorgeous fake Tets in that auction, eh? => congrats on scoring that coin (it's a total winner!!) ...

=> oh and sneaky move to land that sweet hammer-price (very well played, coin princess ... very well played)

I also have one of Robert Ready's earlier examples (NOTE: oddly, this example was not displayed by the British Museum)

 

I think your coin is really neat, TIF. I also appreciated the link to the electrotyping video. I never really knew how it was done until now.

 

The video about how an electrotype is made was illuminating. TIF, thanks for the link.

 

Is that a copy of one of those extremely rare solidus of Emperor Stevex6 of the Northern Manitoban Empire? I heard the reverse has a dozen different animals. He was a real animal lover and wanted his coins to have the most animals per coin ratio of any coin ever made.

 

yes, i'd read about electrotyping, but i don't think i really understood it until i watched that little vid. neat!

electrotype added to list.

 

Thanks everyone! I'm glad you found the electrotyping video helpful. I still have questions about the process as it relates to Ready's methods for the BM coins:

1. Was only the first replica of each coin made by electrotyping, with subsequent copies made by lost wax casting, using the electrotype replica as a the master? (I'd guess not, otherwise why not just make a master mold directly from the original coin?)

2. What metal was used to fill the electrotype "shell" prior to soldering the halves together? My replica weighs 16.64 gm. The host coin weighs 13.19 gm. Is the heavier weight due to added thickness or to a different metal? Of the possible filler metals, lead would seem the most likely but its atomic weight is almost twice that of silver so if it were used, the replica weight would be even heavier. My best guess is that the two halves joined together ended up thicker than the host coin, hence the heavier weight. I'm not sure what to guess about the filling metal. Copper is significantly lighter than silver so if it was used as a filler, given the heavier weight the replica would be markedly thicker than the host coin.

3. If each replica was made by electrotyping the original mold, how long did each mold last? Do they degrade and lose detail over time?

I intend to write the BM to see if anyone there can answer these questions.

 

Very nice piece. i picked this one up at a recent CNG auction.
To answer some of the questions, one mold can make multiple electrotypes before another mold needs to be made. Also, molds can be made from electrotypes as the copy is as perfect as the mold it is made from, I have made a mold from the above coin and made copies from that mold. The filler metal was most likely lead as it is cheap, the trick would be to keep the two halves together while the lead was molten so it wouldn't leak out. I still haven't mastered that part. Molds in the early days of electrotyping were made from pressing a coin or medal into lead or using a low temp fuseable metal alloy. Later on it was found that using plaster, wax, or natural rubber was possible if the mold was coated with a conductive powder or metal foil. With proper care, the molds shouldn't degrade. According to the old books, using their primative batteries, it could take several days to make some electrotypes. Using a modern, controllable power supply, I can make an electrotype that is thick enough to take the tin filling (I don't use lead) in about 8 hours. If you find more out about Robert Ready, please post!

Joe Paonessa

 

Excellent information. Thanks, Joe! If/when I get more information about the Ready electrotypes I will post it here.