S 1595 - Babylon (Seleucus I), silver, tetradrachms (309-303 BCE)
From SILVER
309 BCE - 303 BCE Silver 27,617 kg
Description
| ObverseInscription or printing placed on the obverse.: | Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin |
| ReverseInscription or printing placed on the reverse.: | ΒAΣIΛEΩΣ - AΛEΞANΔPOY (Greek).Zeus Aëtophoros seated left, anchor and monogram to left, Π below throne |
Mint and issuing power
| MintIdentifies the place of manufacture or issue of a numismatic object.: | Babylon | Ancient regionAncient region.: | Mesopotamia | Modern countryModern country: Iraq | 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), 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. | 309 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 | 17.10 | DenominationTerm indicating the value of a numismatic object. Examples: tetradrachm, chalkous, denarius.: | tetradrachm
|
StandardStandard.: | Attic |
Image
S1595 Babylon Alexander tetradrachms.jpg [1]
References
| Die study referencePublication of the study: | Taylor 20221Taylor 2022 | ||
| Coin series referenceReference to coin series study: | Price 19912Price 1991, n° 3349, HGC 93HGC 9, n° 10g, SC I4SC I, n° C94.7d | ||
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 | 26 | 38.81 | 26 | 11.02 | 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 18, 22, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 36, 39, 41, 42, 43, 44, 48, 53, 57, 62, 65, 67 |
| 2 | 9 | 13.43 | 18 | 7.63 | 4, 15, 16, 17, 19, 50, 52, 56, 59 |
| 3 | 5 | 7.46 | 15 | 6.36 | 2, 11, 35, 51, 63 |
| 4 | 5 | 7.46 | 20 | 8.47 | 13, 27, 29, 55, 58 |
| 5 | 3 | 4.48 | 15 | 6.36 | 14, 24, 45 |
| 6 | 7 | 10.45 | 42 | 17.8 | 7, 21, 23, 33, 40, 49, 66 |
| 7 | 5 | 7.46 | 35 | 14.83 | 9, 31, 34, 46, 47 |
| 8 | 3 | 4.48 | 24 | 10.17 | 20, 54, 61 |
| 9 | 1 | 1.49 | 9 | 3.81 | 37 |
| 10 | 1 | 1.49 | 10 | 4.24 | 64 |
| 11 | 2 | 2.99 | 22 | 9.32 | 38, 60 |
| Total | 67 of 67 | 100 | 236 of 236 | 100.01 |
Reverse dies distribution
no distribution is available
Quantification
| Number of obversesNumber of obverse dies. ᵖ (o) | 67 | Number of singletons (o1)The number of singleton coins. ᵖ | 26 |
| Number of reverse diesNumber of reverse dies. (r) | 192 | Number of coinsNumber of coins. (n) | 236 |
| Coins per obverse dieNumber of coins per obverse die. (n/o) | 3.52 | Coins per reverse dieNumber of coins per reverse die. (n/r) | 1.23 |
| Reverse per obverse ratioRatio of obverse dies divided by reverse dies. (r/o) | 2.87 | Percentage of singletons (o1)number of coins (n) divided by the number of singletons (o1) ᵖ | 38.81 % |
| Original number of dies (O) (Carter 1983 formula)The estimation of the number of coins according to Carter 1983 ᵖ | 80.75 | Coins struck if 20,000 as average productivity per dieCoins made if the average productivity for obverses (according to Carter) is 20,000. ᵖ | 1,615,000 |
| 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) | 93.56 | Survival rate if 20,000 as average productivity per dieSurvival rate if average productivity is 20,000. ᵖ | 0.00015 |
| Coverage (o = % of O) (Esty 1984 formula)Esty 1984 - coverage (% of O) ᵖ (o = % of O) | 88.98% | Die productivity if survival rate 1/2,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/2,000. ᵖ | 5,845.2 |
| 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 | 27,617 kg <br /> 27,617 kg | Die productivity if survival rate 1/5,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/5,000. ᵖ | 14,613 |
Remarks
References
- ^ Taylor, Lloyd W. H. (2022), "The Anchor Alexanders of Babylon II", American Journal of Numismatics, 34, p. 1-37, pl. 1-10.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
