Aradus (Seleucus I), silver, tetradrachms (Heracles/seated Zeus) (311-301 BCE)
From SILVER
311 BCE - 301 BCE Silver 9,571 kg
Description
| ObverseInscription or printing placed on the obverse.: | Head of Heracles right, wearing Nemean lion skin headdress. |
| ReverseInscription or printing placed on the reverse.: | BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ (Greek).Zeus sitting in throne, facing left, right arme stretched, scepter in left hand, eagle perched upon right hand. Symbols in left field. |
Mint and issuing power
| MintIdentifies the place of manufacture or issue of a numismatic object.: | Aradus | Ancient regionAncient region.: | Syria (Phoenicia) | Modern countryModern country: Syria | 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: | Alexander III the Great (Argead king, 336-323 BC), Seleucid Dynasty (312-63 BC), Seleucus I Nicator (satrap in 321-305 BC and Seleucid king in 305-281 BC) |
Chronology
| FromIdentifies the initial date in a range assigned in a numismatic context. | 311 BCE | toIdentifies the final date in a range assigned in a numismatic context.. | 301 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 | 17.00 | DenominationTerm indicating the value of a numismatic object. Examples: tetradrachm, chalkous, denarius.: | tetradrachm
|
StandardStandard.: | Attic |
Image
Aradus_Seleucus_I_tetradrachms.jpg [1]
References
| Die study referencePublication of the study: | Houghton 19911Houghton 1991, p. 99-117 | ||
| Coin series referenceReference to coin series study: | Price 19912Price 1991, n° 3356, HGC 93HGC 9, n° 10, SC I4SC I, n° C94 | ||
| 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 | 9 | 47.37 | 9 | 20.93 | 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18 |
| 2 | 2 | 10.53 | 4 | 9.3 | 10, 17 |
| 3 | 5 | 26.32 | 15 | 34.88 | 1, 4, 7, 16, 19 |
| 4 | 1 | 5.26 | 4 | 9.3 | 2 |
| 5 | 1 | 5.26 | 5 | 11.63 | 8 |
| 6 | 1 | 5.26 | 6 | 13.95 | 5 |
| Total | 19 of 19 | 100 | 43 of 43 | 99.99 |
Reverse dies distribution
no distribution is available
Quantification
| Number of obversesNumber of obverse dies. ᵖ (o) | 19 | Number of singletons (o1)The number of singleton coins. ᵖ | 9 |
| Number of reverse diesNumber of reverse dies. (r) | Number of coinsNumber of coins. (n) | 43 | |
| Coins per obverse dieNumber of coins per obverse die. (n/o) | 2.26 | Coins per reverse dieNumber of coins per reverse die. (n/r) | |
| Reverse per obverse ratioRatio of obverse dies divided by reverse dies. (r/o) | Percentage of singletons (o1)number of coins (n) divided by the number of singletons (o1) ᵖ | 47.37 % | |
| Original number of dies (O) (Carter 1983 formula)The estimation of the number of coins according to Carter 1983 ᵖ | 28.15 | Coins struck if 20,000 as average productivity per dieCoins made if the average productivity for obverses (according to Carter) is 20,000. ᵖ | 563,000 |
| 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) | 34.04 | Survival rate if 20,000 as average productivity per dieSurvival rate if average productivity is 20,000. ᵖ | 0.00008 |
| Coverage (o = % of O) (Esty 1984 formula)Esty 1984 - coverage (% of O) ᵖ (o = % of O) | 79.07% | Die productivity if survival rate 1/2,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/2,000. ᵖ | 3,055.06 |
| 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 | 9,571 kg <br /> 9,571 kg | Die productivity if survival rate 1/5,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/5,000. ᵖ | 7,637.66 |
Remarks
Most likely one single workstation Likely military
References
- ^ Houghton, Arthur (1991), "The Antioch Project," in William E. Metcalf (ed.), Mnemata : papers in memory of Nancy M. Waggoner, New York, p. 73-97
- ^ Price, Martin Jessop (1991), The Coinage in the Name of Alexander the Great and Philip Arrhidaeus: a British Museum Catalogue, 2 vol., Zürich-London, 637 p., 637 p., clix pl.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Houghton, Arthur - Lorber, Catharine (2002), Seleucid coins : a comprehensive catalogue. Part 1, Seleucus I through Antiochus III, New York - Lancaster - London, 2 v. (xxxviii, 488 p. + 300 p.), 101 pl.
