Damascus (Tigranes II), silver, tetradrachms (72-70 BCE)
From SILVER
72 BCE - 70 BCE Silver 3,021 kg
Description
| ObverseInscription or printing placed on the obverse.: | Head of the king Tigranes to right, wearing the diademed royal tiara orned with a star and an eagle, a drapery around the neck |
| ReverseInscription or printing placed on the reverse.: | ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ TIΓΡΑΝΟΥ (Greek).Tyche of Damascus seated on a rock to left, wearing a mural crown and a long tunic, holding a cornucopia in the left hand, the right hand raised. At her feet, a river personified three quarter right, head facing. In the field and at the exergue, letters and/or monograms. All within a laurel wreath. |
Mint and issuing power
| MintIdentifies the place of manufacture or issue of a numismatic object.: | Damascus | Ancient regionAncient region.: | 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: | Armenian kingdom, Tigranes II of Armenia (Artaxiad king, c. 95-56 BC) |
Chronology
| FromIdentifies the initial date in a range assigned in a numismatic context. | 72 BCE | toIdentifies the final date in a range assigned in a numismatic context.. | 70 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 | 15.70 | DenominationTerm indicating the value of a numismatic object. Examples: tetradrachm, chalkous, denarius.: | tetradrachm
|
StandardStandard.: | Attic |
Image
H309a Tigranes Damascus.jpg [1]
References
| Die study referencePublication of the study: | Nercessian 20061Nercessian 2006, p. 80-82, Callataÿ 1997a2Callataÿ 1997a, Mousheghian - Depeyrot 19993Mousheghian - Depeyrot 1999, p. 198, n° 13-16 | ||
| Coin series referenceReference to coin series study: | Sear II4Sear II, n° 7205, RQEMH5RQEMH, n° 309a | ||
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 | 50 | 2 | 33.33 | 1, 3 |
| 2 | 2 | 50 | 4 | 66.67 | 2, 4 |
| Total | 4 of 4 | 100 | 6 of 6 | 100 |
Reverse dies distribution
no distribution is available
Quantification
| Number of obversesNumber of obverse dies. ᵖ (o) | 4 | Number of singletons (o1)The number of singleton coins. ᵖ | 2 |
| Number of reverse diesNumber of reverse dies. (r) | 6 | Number of coinsNumber of coins. (n) | 6 |
| Coins per obverse dieNumber of coins per obverse die. (n/o) | 1.5 | Coins per reverse dieNumber of coins per reverse die. (n/r) | 1 |
| Reverse per obverse ratioRatio of obverse dies divided by reverse dies. (r/o) | 1.5 | Percentage of singletons (o1)number of coins (n) divided by the number of singletons (o1) ᵖ | 50 % |
| Original number of dies (O) (Carter 1983 formula)The estimation of the number of coins according to Carter 1983 ᵖ | 9.62 | Coins struck if 20,000 as average productivity per dieCoins made if the average productivity for obverses (according to Carter) is 20,000. ᵖ | 192,400 |
| 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) | 12 | Survival rate if 20,000 as average productivity per dieSurvival rate if average productivity is 20,000. ᵖ | 0.00003 |
| Coverage (o = % of O) (Esty 1984 formula)Esty 1984 - coverage (% of O) ᵖ (o = % of O) | 66.67% | Die productivity if survival rate 1/2,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/2,000. ᵖ | 1,247.4 |
| 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 | 3,021 kg <br /> 3,021 kg | Die productivity if survival rate 1/5,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/5,000. ᵖ | 3,118.5 |
Remarks
Callataÿ 1997a: 4 coins, 4 obverses, 4 reverses; Mousheghian - Depeyrot 1999: 5 coins, 4 obverses, 4 reverses
References
- ^ Nercessian, Yeghia T. (2006), Silver Coinage of the Artaxiad Dynasty of Armenia, Los Angeles, ix, 212 p., 96 pl.
- ^ Callataÿ, François de (1997), L'histoire des guerres mithridatiques vue par les monnaies, Numismatica Lovaniensia 18, Louvain-la-Neuve, XIII + 481 p. et 54 pl.
- ^ Mousheghian, Anahit - Depeyrot, Georges (1999), Hellenistic and Roman Armenian Coinage (1st c. BC – 1st c. AD), Moneta 15, Wetteren
- ^ Sear, David R. (1979), Greek coins and their values. Vol. II, Asia and North Africa, London, xlviii, p. 317-762
- ^ Callataÿ, François de (1997), Recueil quantitatif des émissions monétaires hellénistiques, Numismatique Romaine, Wetteren, X + 341 p.
