US: Αncient coins returned to Greece
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US: Αncient coins returned to Greece

A collection of ancient silver coins forfeited during an undercover investigation into black-market coin trading in New York City was handed over to the Greek government.

«The coins being returned to us by the New York County District Attorney are exquisite ancient artifacts that reflect Greece’s culture, history and enduring strength,» Christos Panagopoulos, Greece’s ambassador to the United States, said in a statement.

The rare drachmas will be displayed at the Numismatic Museum of Athens. They were confiscated by the DA’s Office, pursuant to a joint investigation with agents from Homeland Security Investigations, in connection with a case of illicit possession of stolen coins. The Greek pieces returned to Greece are:

  1. A silver stater of Dikaia, Thrace (c. 515 – 480 B.C.) with the head of Herakles on the obverse side and an incuse square on the reverse side
  2. A silver stater of Locri Opunti (c. 369 – 338 B.C.) with the head of Demeter on the obverse side and the head of Ajax, son of Oileus, on the reverse side
  3. A silver didrachm of Euboea (c. 375 – 357 B.C.) with a cow on the obverse side and the head of the nymph Euboea on the reverse side
  4. A silver stater of Thebes, Boeotia (c. 405 – 395 B.C.) with the face of Dionysus on the obverse side and a shield on the reverse side
  5. A silver stater of Thebes, Boeotia (c. 395 – 338 B.C.) with a shield on the obverse side and a crater on the reverse side

The $200,000 worth ancient coins had been seized from a renowned Rhode Island hand surgeon when he was busted trying to sell over $2 million in fake ancient coins. The coin collector Dr Arnold-Peter Weiss, 54, pleaded guilty in 2012 to trying to sell three extremely rare silver coins at an auction at the Waldorf Astoria, which he thought were merely stolen but turned out to be sophisticated forgeries.

Source: NY Post

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