Antioch (Antiochus IV), silver, drachms (Antiochus IV/Apollo on omphalos) (173-169 BCE)
From SILVER
173 BCE - 169 BCE Silver 459 kg
Description
ObverseInscription or printing placed on the obverse.: | Diademed head of Antiochus IV right, diadem ends adorned with stars |
ReverseInscription or printing placed on the reverse.: | BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXΟΥ ΘEOY EΠIΦANOYΣ (Greek).Apollo seated left on omphalos, testing arrow and resting left hand on grounded bow |
Mint and issuing power
MintIdentifies the place of manufacture or issue of a numismatic object.: | Antioch | Ancient regionAncient region.: | Syria | Modern countryModern country: Turkey | AuthorityIdentifies the issuing power. The authority can be "pretended" when the name or the portrait of X is on the coin but he/she was not the issuing power. It can also be "uncertain" when there is no mention of X on the coin but he/she was the issuing power according to the historical sources: | Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Seleucid king, 175-164 BC), Seleucid Dynasty (312-63 BC) |
Chronology
FromIdentifies the initial date in a range assigned in a numismatic context. | 173 BCE | toIdentifies the final date in a range assigned in a numismatic context.. | 169 BCE | PeriodTime period of the numismatic object.: Hellenistic 323-30 BC ![]() |
Physical description
MetalThe physical material (usually metal) from which an object is made.: | Silver ![]() |
Median weightMedian of the weights of numismatic objects (in grams). in grams | 4.10 | DenominationTerm indicating the value of a numismatic object. Examples: tetradrachm, chalkous, denarius.: | drachma ![]() |
StandardStandard.: | Attic |
Image

Antioch_Antiochus_IV_drachm_Apollo.jpg [1]
References
Die study referencePublication of the study: | Mørkholm 19631Mørkholm 1963, Le Rider 19992Le Rider 1999, p. 218-219 | ||
Coin series referenceReference to coin series study: | RQEMH3RQEMH, n° 286a, SC II4SC II, n° 1403, HGC 95HGC 9, n° 611 | ||
Coin series web referenceCoin series web references: |
Obverse dies distribution
FrequencyFrequency of specimen in distribution. ᵖ | Number of obversesNumber of obverse dies. ᵖ (o) | % (o) | Number of coinsNumber of coins. (n) | % (n) | Die nameName(s) of the die(s). |
1 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 4.17 | 5 |
2 | 1 | 20 | 2 | 8.33 | 3 |
3 | 1 | 20 | 3 | 12.5 | 4 |
5 | 1 | 20 | 5 | 20.83 | 1 |
13 | 1 | 20 | 13 | 54.17 | 2 |
Total | 5 of 5 | 100 | 24 of 24 | 100 |
Reverse dies distribution
no distribution is available
Quantification
Number of obversesNumber of obverse dies. ᵖ (o) | 5 | Number of singletons (o1)The number of singleton coins. ᵖ | 1 |
Number of reverse diesNumber of reverse dies. (r) | 17 | Number of coinsNumber of coins. (n) | 24 |
Coins per obverse dieNumber of coins per obverse die. (n/o) | 4.8 | Coins per reverse dieNumber of coins per reverse die. (n/r) | 1.41 |
Reverse per obverse ratioRatio of obverse dies divided by reverse dies. (r/o) | 3.4 | Percentage of singletons (o1)number of coins (n) divided by the number of singletons (o1) ᵖ | 20 % |
Original number of dies (O) (Carter 1983 formula)The estimation of the number of coins according to Carter 1983 ᵖ | 5.6 | Coins struck if 20,000 as average productivity per dieCoins made if the average productivity for obverses (according to Carter) is 20,000. ᵖ | 112,000 |
Original number of dies (O) (Esty 2011 formula)The estimation of the number of coins according to the singleton formula in Esty 2011 ᵖ (O) | 6.32 | Survival rate if 20,000 as average productivity per dieSurvival rate if average productivity is 20,000. ᵖ | 0.00021 |
Coverage (o = % of O) (Esty 1984 formula)Esty 1984 - coverage (% of O) ᵖ (o = % of O) | 95.83% | Die productivity if survival rate 1/2,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/2,000. ᵖ | 8,571.43 |
Weight of silver (in kg) if 20,000 coins per die (O = Carter formula)Carter 1983 * Median weight * 20000 (*10 if gold or electrum) ᵖ | 459 kg <br /> 459 kg | Die productivity if survival rate 1/5,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/5,000. ᵖ | 21,428.57 |
Remarks
Most likely one single workstation O3 is possibly O2 recut
References
- ^ Morkholm, Otto (1963), Studies in the Coinage of Antiochos IV of Syria, Copenhague.
- ^ Le Rider, Georges (1999), Antioche de Syrie sous les séleucides : corpus des monnaies d'or et d'argent. I, De Séleucos I à Antiochos V, c. 300-161, Mémoires de l'Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres, n.s. 19, Paris, 260 p., 27 pl.
- ^ Callataÿ, François de (1997), Recueil quantitatif des émissions monétaires hellénistiques, Numismatique Romaine, Wetteren, X + 341 p.
- ^ Houghton, Arthur - Lorber, Catharine C. - Hoover, Oliver D. (2008), Seleucid coins : a comprehensive catalogue. Part 2, Seleucus IV through Antiochus XIII, 2 v., New York - Lancaster - London, (xxx), 120 p. of plates : ill., maps, tables
- ^ Hoover, Oliver D. (2009), Handbook of ancient Syrian coins : royal and civic issues, fourth to first centuries BC, The Handbook of Greek Coinage 9, Lancaster, lxix, 332 p.