ASIA MINOR OR THE LEVANT. Late 5th - mid 4th century BC. Reverse the for striking an imitative tetradrachm of Athens (Iron, 20 x 18 x 25 mm, 108.00 g). A square iron punch - a reverse the - that has a smooth flat end on which a design is engraved; the opposite end, designed to take the hammer blows, is mushroomed out from use. The design, cut intaglio into the die surface, consists of 1) an oval standing to left with closed wings and an overly large head, 2) an olive sprig in the corner behind the oval's head and a crescent moon running from the owl's back to the side of his head, 3) the letters Α For Athenian tetradrachms of the later 5th century and the first quarter of the 4th that had reverses that could have served as models for this, see SNG Copenhagen 35-40 and Svoronos, Trésor, pls. 15 and 16, passim. Considerable traces of rust and wear to the surfaces, but with clear designs, otherwise, good very fine. The style of this the indications that it is highly like that it was engraved at a time contemporary with, or very slightly later than, the original Athenian tetradrachm it copies. This could have happened starting in the teens of the 5th century, when the supply of Athenian tetradrachms to the Levant, so vital for trade, third up due to the Peloponnesian War. These imitations continued being struck, in increasingly poor style, for several centuries. Very rare, ancient Greek these are known from a small number of examples, most being made for imitations designed for commercial use due to a paint of official coins caused by war.