Cos (Alexander the Great), silver, tetradrachms (Heracles/Zeus) (210-185 BCE)
From SILVER
210 BCE - 185 BCE Silver 2,582 kg
Description
ObverseInscription or printing placed on the obverse.: | Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress |
ReverseInscription or printing placed on the reverse.: | AΛEΞANΔPOY (Greek).Zeus seated left on low throne, holding long scepter in his left hand and eagle standing right with closed wings in his right, to left, club hold by crab above monogram |
Mint and issuing power
MintIdentifies the place of manufacture or issue of a numismatic object.: | Cos | Ancient regionAncient region.: | Caria (islands) | Modern countryModern country: Greece | 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) |
Chronology
FromIdentifies the initial date in a range assigned in a numismatic context. | 210 BCE | toIdentifies the final date in a range assigned in a numismatic context.. | 185 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 | 16.90 | DenominationTerm indicating the value of a numismatic object. Examples: tetradrachm, chalkous, denarius.: | tetradrachm | StandardStandard.: | Attic |
References
Die study referencePublication of the study: | Höghammar 20211 | ||
Coin series referenceReference to coin series study: | Price 19912 | ||
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 | 2 | 33.33 | 2 | 11.11 | 2, 5 |
2 | 1 | 16.67 | 2 | 11.11 | 1 |
3 | 2 | 33.33 | 6 | 33.33 | 4, 6 |
8 | 1 | 16.67 | 8 | 44.44 | 3 |
Total | 6 of 6 | 100 | 18 of 18 | 99.99 |
Reverse dies distribution
no distribution is available
Quantification
Number of obversesNumber of obverse dies. ᵖ (o) | 6 | Number of singletons (o1)The number of singleton coins. ᵖ | 2 |
Number of reverse diesNumber of reverse dies. (r) | 14 | Number of coinsNumber of coins. (n) | 18 |
Coins per obverse dieNumber of coins per obverse die. (n/o) | 3 | Coins per reverse dieNumber of coins per reverse die. (n/r) | 1.29 |
Reverse per obverse ratioRatio of obverse dies divided by reverse dies. (r/o) | 2.33 | Percentage of singletons (o1)number of coins (n) divided by the number of singletons (o1) ᵖ | 33.33 % |
Original number of dies (O) (Carter 1983 formula)The estimation of the number of coins according to Carter 1983 ᵖ | 7.64 | Coins struck if 20,000 as average productivity per dieCoins made if the average productivity for obverses (according to Carter) is 20,000. ᵖ | 152,800 |
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) | 9 | Survival rate if 20,000 as average productivity per dieSurvival rate if average productivity is 20,000. ᵖ | 0.00012 |
Coverage (o = % of O) (Esty 1984 formula)Esty 1984 - coverage (% of O) ᵖ (o = % of O) | 88.89% | Die productivity if survival rate 1/2,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/2,000. ᵖ | 4,712.04 |
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 | 2,582 kg <br /> 2,582 kg | Die productivity if survival rate 1/5,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/5,000. ᵖ | 11,780.1 |
Remarks
Most likely one single workstation Certainly military
References
- ^ Höghammar, Kerstin (2021), "The Koan Series of posthumous Alexander tetradrachms, c. 200 BC (including a discussion of the date of the change in the spelling of the Koan ethnic on coins and of the appearance of the circular dotted border," in A. Meadows and U. Wartenberg (eds.), Presbeus. Studies in Ancient Coinage Presented to Richard Ashton, New York, p. 173-202.
- ^ 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.