Aradus, silver, tetradrachms (Heracles/seated Zeus) (246-167 BCE)

246 BCE - 167 BCE Silver 18,982 kg

Description

Obverse:	Head of Heracles right, wearing Nemean lion skin headdress. Border of dots.
Reverse:	ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ (Greek).Zeus seated left on throne, holding eagle and sceptre. Controls: Palm tree in left field, monogram below throne, ΞA (date) in exergue.

Mint and issuing power

Mint:

Aradus

Ancient region:

Phoenicia

Modern country: Syria

Authority:

Alexander III the Great (Argead king, 336-323 BC)

Chronology

From

246 BCE

to

167 BCE

Period: Hellenistic ^{323-30 BC}

Physical description

Metal:

Silver

Median weight in grams

17.00

Denomination:

tetradrachm

Standard:

Attic

Image

References

Die study reference:	"[[Die study reference" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.]]1Duyrat 2005, p. 38-43, n° 1114-1356 (Series I).
Coin series reference:	"[[Coin series reference" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.]]2HGC 10, n° 60-61
Coin series web reference:	http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3365 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3367 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3368 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3369 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3370 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3371 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3372 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3373 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3376 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3377 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3379 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3380 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3381 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3382 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3383 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3384 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3385 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3386 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3387 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3388 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3389 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3390 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3391 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3392 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3393 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3394 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3395 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3396 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3397 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3398 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3399 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3400 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3401 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3402 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3403 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3404 http://numismatics.org/pella/id/price.3405

Obverse dies distribution

Frequency ^ᵖ	Number of obverses ^ᵖ (o)	% (o)	Number of coins (n)	% (n)	Die name
1	16	32	16	6.58	9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 19, 22, 25, 30, 35, 37, 40, 45, 46, 49, 50
2	4	8	8	3.29	18, 44, 47, 48
3	7	14	21	8.64	13, 14, 20, 24, 28, 29, 39
4	6	12	24	9.88	1, 8, 12, 34, 42, 43
6	3	6	18	7.41	3, 21, 36
7	4	8	28	11.52	26, 27, 31, 41
9	1	2	9	3.7	2
10	3	6	30	12.35	23, 32, 33
11	1	2	11	4.53	7
13	1	2	13	5.35	5
14	1	2	14	5.76	6
16	2	4	32	13.17	4, 17
19	1	2	19	7.82	38
Total	50 of 50	100	243 of 243	100

Reverse dies distribution

no distribution is available

Quantification

Number of obverses ^ᵖ (o)	50	Number of singletons (o1) ^ᵖ	16
Number of reverse dies (r)	166	Number of coins (n)	243
Coins per obverse die (n/o)	4.86	Coins per reverse die (n/r)	1.46
Reverse per obverse ratio (r/o)	3.32	Percentage of singletons (o1) ^ᵖ	32 %
Original number of dies (O) (Carter 1983 formula) ^ᵖ	55.83	Coins struck if 20,000 as average productivity per die ^ᵖ	1,116,600
Original number of dies (O) (Esty 2011 formula) ^ᵖ (O)	62.95	Survival rate if 20,000 as average productivity per die ^ᵖ	0.00022
Coverage (o = % of O) (Esty 1984 formula) ^ᵖ (o = % of O)	93.42%	Die productivity if survival rate 1/2,000 ^ᵖ	8,705
Weight of silver (in kg) if 20,000 coins per die (O = Carter formula) ^ᵖ	18,982 kg <br /> 18,982 kg	Die productivity if survival rate 1/5,000 ^ᵖ	21,762.49

Remarks

Most likely one single workstation

References

^ Duyrat, Frédérique (2005), Arados hellénistique. Etude historique et monétaire, Beirut
^ Hoover, Oliver D. (2010), The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series. 10. handbook of coins of the Southern Levant : Phoenicia, southern Koile Syria (including Judaea), and Arabia, Lancaster-London, lxxix, 201 p.