Babylon (Alexander the Great), silver, decadrachms (Heracles/Zeus) (325-323 BCE)
From SILVER
325 BCE - 323 BCE Silver 1,957 kg
Description
| Obverse: | Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress |
| Reverse: | AΛEΞANΔPOY to right (Greek).Zeus Aëtophoros seated to left, on throne with eagle-tipped finials, holding sceptre, monogram and M below throne |
Mint and issuing power
| Mint: | Babylon | Ancient region: | Mesopotamia | Modern country: Iraq | Authority: | Alexander III the Great (Argead king, 336-323 BC) |
Chronology
| From | 325 BCE | to | 323 BCE | Period: Classical 480-323 BC 
|
Physical description
| Metal: | Silver
|
Median weight in grams | 42.00 | Denomination: | decadrachm
|
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.]]1Price 1991b, p. 69, n° 3598 and 3600 | ||
| Coin series reference: | "[[Coin series reference" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.]]2Sear II, n° 6712, "[[Coin series reference" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.]]3Price 1991, n° 3598, "[[Coin series reference" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.]]4HGC 3.1, n° 909 | ||
| Coin series web reference: | |||
Obverse dies distribution
| Frequency ᵖ | Number of obverses ᵖ (o) | % (o) | Number of coins (n) | % (n) | Die name |
| 3 | 1 | 50 | 3 | 37.5 | 1 |
| 5 | 1 | 50 | 5 | 62.5 | 2 |
| Total | 2 of 2 | 100 | 8 of 8 | 100 |
Reverse dies distribution
no distribution is available
Quantification
| Number of obverses ᵖ (o) | 2 | Number of singletons (o1) ᵖ | |
| Number of reverse dies (r) | 7 | Number of coins (n) | 8 |
| Coins per obverse die (n/o) | 4 | Coins per reverse die (n/r) | 1.14 |
| Reverse per obverse ratio (r/o) | 3.5 | Percentage of singletons (o1) ᵖ | % |
| Original number of dies (O) (Carter 1983 formula) ᵖ | 2.33 | Coins struck if 20,000 as average productivity per die ᵖ | 46,600 |
| Original number of dies (O) (Esty 2011 formula) ᵖ (O) | 2.67 | Survival rate if 20,000 as average productivity per die ᵖ | 0.00017 |
| Coverage (o = % of O) (Esty 1984 formula) ᵖ (o = % of O) | % | Die productivity if survival rate 1/2,000 ᵖ | 6,866.95 |
| Weight of silver (in kg) if 20,000 coins per die (O = Carter formula) ᵖ | 1,957 kg <br /> 1,957 kg | Die productivity if survival rate 1/5,000 ᵖ | 17,167.38 |
Remarks
Most likely one single workstation Certainly military
References
- ^ Price, Martin J. (1991), "Circulation at Babylon in 323 B.C.", in W.E. Metcalf (ed.), Mnemata : papers in memory of Nancy M. Waggoner, New York, p. 63-72, pl. 15-17.
- ^ Sear, David R. (1979), Greek coins and their values. Vol. II, Asia and North Africa, London, xlviii, p. 317-762
- ^ 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. (2016), Handbook of coins of Macedon and its neighbors. 3. Part I: Macedon, Illyria, and Epeiros, sixth to first centuries BC, Lancaster, 437 p.
