An early trade dollar?

EVillageProwler

Saw this coin and couldn't help thinking how rich and exciting our hobby is. So much history to learn! So, do we think this may have been an early TD?

linky-poo

Sapyx

The Athenian "owl" was certainly one of the earliest international trade coins. Hoards of them are found in Egypt, where they were treated as bullion. It's wide acceptance was one of the reasons (or so it is believed) why the design remained "Archaic" long after coinage from most other city-states had shifted to the more elegant "Classical" style; they were worried that a change in design would make the coins less acceptable in faraway lands.