Ecbatana (Seleucus I), silver, tetradrachms (Heracles/Zeus) (311-303 BCE)
From SILVER
311 BCE - 303 BCE Silver 2,618 kg
Description
| ObverseInscription or printing placed on the obverse.: | Head of Herakles right, wearing the lion headdress and the ram horn. |
| ReverseInscription or printing placed on the reverse.: | ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ (Greek).Zeus seated to left, holding an eagle and a scepter. At his feet, a forepart of grazing horse. (In the field, monogram or letters and/or dot). (Under the throne, B or monogram). Border of dots. |
Mint and issuing power
| MintIdentifies the place of manufacture or issue of a numismatic object.: | Ecbatana | Ancient regionAncient region.: | Media | Modern countryModern country: Iran | 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.. | 303 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
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Ecbatana_Seleucus_tetradrachm_(Alexander).jpg [1]
References
| Die study referencePublication of the study: | Boillet 20091Boillet 2009, p. 45-51, no. 21-57. | ||
| Coin series referenceReference to coin series study: | Price 19912Price 1991, n° 3889, SC I3SC I, n° 202.2a, HGC 94HGC 9, n° 9e | ||
| 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 | 3 | 42.86 | 3 | 8.11 | 3, 5, 6 |
| 3 | 1 | 14.29 | 3 | 8.11 | 7 |
| 6 | 1 | 14.29 | 6 | 16.22 | 2 |
| 8 | 1 | 14.29 | 8 | 21.62 | 4 |
| 17 | 1 | 14.29 | 17 | 45.95 | 1 |
| Total | 7 of 7 | 100.02 | 37 of 37 | 100.01 |
Reverse dies distribution
no distribution is available
Quantification
| Number of obversesNumber of obverse dies. ᵖ (o) | 7 | Number of singletons (o1)The number of singleton coins. ᵖ | 3 |
| Number of reverse diesNumber of reverse dies. (r) | 32 | Number of coinsNumber of coins. (n) | 37 |
| Coins per obverse dieNumber of coins per obverse die. (n/o) | 5.29 | Coins per reverse dieNumber of coins per reverse die. (n/r) | 1.16 |
| Reverse per obverse ratioRatio of obverse dies divided by reverse dies. (r/o) | 4.57 | Percentage of singletons (o1)number of coins (n) divided by the number of singletons (o1) ᵖ | 42.86 % |
| Original number of dies (O) (Carter 1983 formula)The estimation of the number of coins according to Carter 1983 ᵖ | 7.7 | Coins struck if 20,000 as average productivity per dieCoins made if the average productivity for obverses (according to Carter) is 20,000. ᵖ | 154,000 |
| 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) | 8.63 | Survival rate if 20,000 as average productivity per dieSurvival rate if average productivity is 20,000. ᵖ | 0.00024 |
| Coverage (o = % of O) (Esty 1984 formula)Esty 1984 - coverage (% of O) ᵖ (o = % of O) | 91.89% | Die productivity if survival rate 1/2,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/2,000. ᵖ | 9,610.39 |
| 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 | 2,618 kg <br /> 2,618 kg | Die productivity if survival rate 1/5,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/5,000. ᵖ | 24,025.97 |
Remarks
Most likely one single workstation Certainly military
References
- ^ Boillet, Pierre-Yves (2009), Ecbatane et la Médie d’Alexandre aux Arsacides (c. 331 a.C. - c. 224 p.C.). Histoire monétaire et économique, unpublished doctoral dissertation, Bordeaux University.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
