Damascus (Alexander the Great), silver, tetradrachms (333-325 BCE) Glenn
From SILVER
333 BCE - 325 BCE Silver 20,963 kg
Description
| ObverseInscription or printing placed on the obverse.: | Head of Heracles right, wearing Nemean lion skin headdress. Border of dots. |
| ReverseInscription or printing placed on the reverse.: | AΛΕΧΑΝΔΡΟΥ (Greek).Zeus seated on throne left, holding eagle and scepter. Under the throne, ΔΑ (and globules or leaf). In field, monogram and X or ram protomea. |
Mint and issuing power
| MintIdentifies the place of manufacture or issue of a numismatic object.: | Damascus | Ancient regionAncient region.: | Syria (Coele-Syria) | 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) |
Chronology
| FromIdentifies the initial date in a range assigned in a numismatic context. | 333 BCE | toIdentifies the final date in a range assigned in a numismatic context.. | 325 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 | 17.20 | DenominationTerm indicating the value of a numismatic object. Examples: tetradrachm, chalkous, denarius.: | tetradrachm
|
StandardStandard.: | Attic |
Image
S106 Damascus.jpg [1]
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 | 1.69 | 1 | 0.2 | 59 |
| 2 | 3 | 5.08 | 6 | 1.22 | 33, 57, 58 |
| 3 | 6 | 10.17 | 18 | 3.65 | 10, 19, 22, 38, 47, 52 |
| 4 | 6 | 10.17 | 24 | 4.87 | 13, 17, 20, 31, 35, 44 |
| 5 | 4 | 6.78 | 20 | 4.06 | 8, 18, 40, 41 |
| 6 | 7 | 11.86 | 42 | 8.52 | 9, 12, 16, 25, 27, 34, 37 |
| 7 | 8 | 13.56 | 56 | 11.36 | 2, 3, 14, 23, 28, 29, 32, 36 |
| 8 | 2 | 3.39 | 16 | 3.25 | 24, 56 |
| 9 | 4 | 6.78 | 36 | 7.3 | 24, 56 |
| 10 | 2 | 3.39 | 20 | 4.06 | 21, 50 |
| 11 | 3 | 5.08 | 33 | 6.69 | 26, 39, 43 |
| 12 | 3 | 5.08 | 36 | 7.3 | 30, 46, 49 |
| 13 | 1 | 1.69 | 13 | 2.64 | 5 |
| 14 | 2 | 3.39 | 28 | 5.68 | 1, 4 |
| 15 | 1 | 1.69 | 15 | 3.04 | 7 |
| 17 | 1 | 1.69 | 17 | 3.45 | 54 |
| 18 | 1 | 1.69 | 18 | 3.65 | 42 |
| 19 | 2 | 3.39 | 38 | 7.71 | 51, 53 |
| 25 | 1 | 1.69 | 25 | 5.07 | 6 |
| 31 | 1 | 1.69 | 31 | 6.29 | 55 |
| Total | 59 of 59 | 99.95 | 493 of 493 | 100.01 |
Reverse dies distribution
no distribution is available
Quantification
| Number of obversesNumber of obverse dies. ᵖ (o) | 59 | Number of singletons (o1)The number of singleton coins. ᵖ | 1 |
| Number of reverse diesNumber of reverse dies. (r) | 257 | Number of coinsNumber of coins. (n) | 493 |
| Coins per obverse dieNumber of coins per obverse die. (n/o) | 8.36 | Coins per reverse dieNumber of coins per reverse die. (n/r) | 1.92 |
| Reverse per obverse ratioRatio of obverse dies divided by reverse dies. (r/o) | 4.36 | Percentage of singletons (o1)number of coins (n) divided by the number of singletons (o1) ᵖ | 1.69 % |
| Original number of dies (O) (Carter 1983 formula)The estimation of the number of coins according to Carter 1983 ᵖ | 60.94 | Coins struck if 20,000 as average productivity per dieCoins made if the average productivity for obverses (according to Carter) is 20,000. ᵖ | 1,218,800 |
| 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) | 67.02 | Survival rate if 20,000 as average productivity per dieSurvival rate if average productivity is 20,000. ᵖ | 0.00040 |
| Coverage (o = % of O) (Esty 1984 formula)Esty 1984 - coverage (% of O) ᵖ (o = % of O) | 99.8% | Die productivity if survival rate 1/2,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/2,000. ᵖ | 16,179.85 |
| 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 | 20,963 kg <br /> 20,963 kg | Die productivity if survival rate 1/5,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/5,000. ᵖ | 40,449.62 |
Remarks
References
- ^ Glenn, Simon (2018), "Exploring localities: a die study of Alexanders from Damascus", in Simon Glenn, Frédérique Duyrat and Andrew Meadows (eds.), Alexander the Great. A Linked Open World, Scripta Antiqua 116, Bordeaux, p. 91-126.
- ^ 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.
