S 228 - Mleiha, silver, tetradrachms (Alexander the Great) (300-250 BCE)
From SILVER
300 BCE - 250 BCE Silver 8,403 kg
Description
| Obverse: | Head of Heracles right, wearing Nemean lion skin headdress. |
| Reverse: | (Aramaic).Male figure seated to left, holding sceptre and horse protome in outstretched hand, palm tree and alif in Aramaic to left, 'b'l brt lbš ('Abi'el daughter of Labaš) in Aramaic and vertical row of dots to right |
Mint and issuing power
| Mint: | Mleiha | Ancient region: | Arabia | Modern country: | Authority: | Alexander III the Great (Argead king, 336-323 BC) |
Chronology
| From | 300 BCE | to | 250 BCE | Period: Hellenistic 323-30 BC 
|
Physical description
| Metal: | Silver
|
Median weight in grams | 16.60 | Denomination: | tetradrachm
|
Standard: | Attic |
Image
References
| Die study reference: | "[[Die study reference" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.]]1Van Alfen 2010, p. 569-570 | ||
| Coin series reference: | |||
Obverse dies distribution
| Frequency ᵖ | Number of obverses ᵖ (o) | % (o) | Number of coins (n) | % (n) | Die name |
| 1 | 7 | 33.33 | 7 | 9.46 | 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 14, 20 |
| 2 | 4 | 19.05 | 8 | 10.81 | 10, 15, 19, 21 |
| 3 | 4 | 19.05 | 12 | 16.22 | 6, 9, 13, 16 |
| 4 | 1 | 4.76 | 4 | 5.41 | 18 |
| 6 | 2 | 9.52 | 12 | 16.22 | 3, 12 |
| 8 | 1 | 4.76 | 8 | 10.81 | 1 |
| 10 | 1 | 4.76 | 10 | 13.51 | 17 |
| 13 | 1 | 4.76 | 13 | 17.57 | 11 |
| Total | 21 of 21 | 99.99 | 74 of 74 | 100.01 |
Reverse dies distribution
no distribution is available
Quantification
| Number of obverses ᵖ (o) | 21 | Number of singletons (o1) ᵖ | 7 |
| Number of reverse dies (r) | 58 | Number of coins (n) | 74 |
| Coins per obverse die (n/o) | 3.52 | Coins per reverse die (n/r) | 1.28 |
| Reverse per obverse ratio (r/o) | 2.76 | Percentage of singletons (o1) ᵖ | 33.33 % |
| Original number of dies (O) (Carter 1983 formula) ᵖ | 25.31 | Coins struck if 20,000 as average productivity per die ᵖ | 506,200 |
| Original number of dies (O) (Esty 2011 formula) ᵖ (O) | 29.32 | Survival rate if 20,000 as average productivity per die ᵖ | 0.00015 |
| Coverage (o = % of O) (Esty 1984 formula) ᵖ (o = % of O) | 90.54% | Die productivity if survival rate 1/2,000 ᵖ | 5,847.49 |
| Weight of silver (in kg) if 20,000 coins per die (O = Carter formula) ᵖ | 8,403 kg <br /> 8,403 kg | Die productivity if survival rate 1/5,000 ᵖ | 14,618.73 |
Remarks
Most likely one single workstation
References
- ^ van Alfen, Peter G. (2010), "A die study of the 'Abiel' coinages of Eastern Arabia", in Martin Huth and Peter G. van Alfen (eds.), Coinage of the caravan kingdoms : studies in ancient Arabian monetization of the caravan kingdoms, New York, American Numismatic Society, p. 549-594.
