Mesembria (Alexander the Great), silver, tetradrachms (275-71 BCE) Karayotov
From SILVER
275 BCE - 71 BCE Silver 33,476 kg
Description
| ObverseInscription or printing placed on the obverse.: | Head of Heracles right, wearing Nemean lion skin headdress. |
| ReverseInscription or printing placed on the reverse.: | ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ (Greek).Zeus seated left on throne, nude to the waist, holding eagle and scepter. In left field, Corinthian helmet and letters. In exergue, monogram. |
Mint and issuing power
| MintIdentifies the place of manufacture or issue of a numismatic object.: | Mesembria | Ancient regionAncient region.: | Thrace | Modern countryModern country: Bulgaria | 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. | 275 BCE | toIdentifies the final date in a range assigned in a numismatic context.. | 71 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 | 16.40 | DenominationTerm indicating the value of a numismatic object. Examples: tetradrachm, chalkous, denarius.: | tetradrachm
|
StandardStandard.: | Attic |
Image
RQEM ad. 1183 - Mesembria, silver, tetradrachm, 275-71 BC.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 | 28 | 28.28 | 28 | 3.32 | 4, 6, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 35, 38, 42, 45, 51, 68, 71, 73, 78, 82, 84, 89, 91, 92, 93 |
| 2 | 12 | 12.12 | 24 | 2.85 | 5, 11, 21, 26, 27, 33, 36, 50, 80, 85, 95, 97 |
| 3 | 14 | 14.14 | 42 | 4.98 | 3, 8, 9, 12, 17, 24, 40, 46, 48, 64, 66, 79, 86, 99 |
| 4 | 9 | 9.09 | 36 | 4.27 | 2, 18, 22, 41, 55, 56, 60, 67, 81 |
| 5 | 6 | 6.06 | 30 | 3.56 | 25, 43, 58, 76, 77, 98 |
| 6 | 2 | 2.02 | 12 | 1.42 | 94, 96 |
| 7 | 3 | 3.03 | 21 | 2.49 | 1, 19, 37 |
| 8 | 4 | 4.04 | 32 | 3.8 | 34, 53, 59, 61 |
| 9 | 2 | 2.02 | 18 | 2.14 | 74, 88 |
| 11 | 3 | 3.03 | 33 | 3.91 | 39, 70, 83 |
| 14 | 1 | 1.01 | 14 | 1.66 | 63 |
| 15 | 3 | 3.03 | 45 | 5.34 | 52, 62, 90 |
| 16 | 2 | 2.02 | 32 | 3.8 | 54, 75 |
| 17 | 2 | 2.02 | 34 | 4.03 | 47, 87 |
| 24 | 1 | 1.01 | 24 | 2.85 | 7 |
| 25 | 1 | 1.01 | 25 | 2.97 | 44 |
| 31 | 1 | 1.01 | 31 | 3.68 | 57 |
| 40 | 1 | 1.01 | 40 | 4.74 | 69 |
| 42 | 1 | 1.01 | 42 | 4.98 | 65 |
| 53 | 1 | 1.01 | 53 | 6.29 | 49 |
| 54 | 1 | 1.01 | 54 | 6.41 | 23 |
| 55 | 1 | 1.01 | 55 | 6.52 | 72 |
| Total | 99 of 99 | 99.99 | 725 of 843 | 86.01 |
Reverse dies distribution
no distribution is available
Quantification
| Number of obversesNumber of obverse dies. ᵖ (o) | 99 | Number of singletons (o1)The number of singleton coins. ᵖ | 28 |
| Number of reverse diesNumber of reverse dies. (r) | 321 | Number of coinsNumber of coins. (n) | 843 |
| Coins per obverse dieNumber of coins per obverse die. (n/o) | 8.52 | Coins per reverse dieNumber of coins per reverse die. (n/r) | 2.63 |
| Reverse per obverse ratioRatio of obverse dies divided by reverse dies. (r/o) | 3.24 | Percentage of singletons (o1)number of coins (n) divided by the number of singletons (o1) ᵖ | 28.28 % |
| Original number of dies (O) (Carter 1983 formula)The estimation of the number of coins according to Carter 1983 ᵖ | 102.06 | Coins struck if 20,000 as average productivity per dieCoins made if the average productivity for obverses (according to Carter) is 20,000. ᵖ | 2,041,200 |
| 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) | 112.17 | Survival rate if 20,000 as average productivity per dieSurvival rate if average productivity is 20,000. ᵖ | 0.00041 |
| Coverage (o = % of O) (Esty 1984 formula)Esty 1984 - coverage (% of O) ᵖ (o = % of O) | 96.68% | Die productivity if survival rate 1/2,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/2,000. ᵖ | 16,519.69 |
| 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 | 33,476 kg <br /> 33,476 kg | Die productivity if survival rate 1/5,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/5,000. ᵖ | 41,299.24 |
Remarks
Most likely one single workstation Likely military
References
- ^ Karayotov, Ivan (1994), The coinage of Mesambria. vol. 1: silver and gold coins of Mesambria, Centre of Underwater Archaeology, Sozopol, 134 p. and 44 pl.
- ^ 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.
