Tarsus (Alexander the Great), silver, tetradrachms (Heracles/Zeus) (333-319 BCE)
From SILVER
333 BCE - 319 BCE Silver 24,928 kg
Description
| ObverseInscription or printing placed on the obverse.: | Head of Heracles right, wearing Nemean lion skin headdress. Border of dots. |
| ReverseInscription or printing placed on the reverse.: | AΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ (Greek).Nike flying right, presenting wreath, above kerykeion, below throne, monogram of EΠ above Θ. |
Mint and issuing power
| MintIdentifies the place of manufacture or issue of a numismatic object.: | Tarsus | Ancient regionAncient region.: | Cilicia | Modern countryModern country: Turkey | 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. | 333 BCE | toIdentifies the final date in a range assigned in a numismatic context.. | 319 BCE | PeriodTime period of the numismatic object.: Classical and Hellenistic |
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
H269 Tarsus tetradrachm.jpeg [1]
References
| Die study referencePublication of the study: | Newell 19181Newell 1918, p. 69-115, pl. 1-8. | ||
| Coin series referenceReference to coin series study: | Price 19912Price 1991, n° 2990-3001, 3011-3012, 3015-3021, etc., RQEMH3RQEMH, n° 269 | ||
| 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 | 9 | 13.43 | 9 | 2.39 | 23, 31, 33, 35, 37, 48, 57, 64, 65 |
| 2 | 5 | 7.46 | 10 | 2.65 | 1, 17, 36, 52, 59 |
| 3 | 12 | 17.91 | 36 | 9.55 | 2, 5, 10, 21, 40, 43, 45, 50, 51, 55, 60, 61 |
| 4 | 6 | 8.96 | 24 | 6.37 | 4, 6, 25, 54, 56, 67 |
| 5 | 10 | 14.93 | 50 | 13.26 | 13, 14, 27, 34, 42, 46, 47, 49, 58, 66 |
| 6 | 6 | 8.96 | 36 | 9.55 | 7, 12, 22, 24, 38, 53 |
| 7 | 4 | 5.97 | 28 | 7.43 | 3, 8, 16, 20 |
| 8 | 4 | 5.97 | 32 | 8.49 | 18, 39, 62, 63 |
| 9 | 1 | 1.49 | 9 | 2.39 | 19 |
| 10 | 3 | 4.48 | 30 | 7.96 | 26, 41, 44 |
| 13 | 3 | 4.48 | 39 | 10.34 | 9, 15, 28 |
| 16 | 1 | 1.49 | 16 | 4.24 | 11 |
| 17 | 2 | 2.99 | 34 | 9.02 | 29, 32 |
| 24 | 1 | 1.49 | 24 | 6.37 | 30 |
| Total | 67 of 67 | 100.01 | 377 of 377 | 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 | 9 |
| Number of reverse diesNumber of reverse dies. (r) | 282 | Number of coinsNumber of coins. (n) | 377 |
| Coins per obverse dieNumber of coins per obverse die. (n/o) | 5.63 | Coins per reverse dieNumber of coins per reverse die. (n/r) | 1.34 |
| Reverse per obverse ratioRatio of obverse dies divided by reverse dies. (r/o) | 4.21 | Percentage of singletons (o1)number of coins (n) divided by the number of singletons (o1) ᵖ | 13.43 % |
| Original number of dies (O) (Carter 1983 formula)The estimation of the number of coins according to Carter 1983 ᵖ | 72.89 | Coins struck if 20,000 as average productivity per dieCoins made if the average productivity for obverses (according to Carter) is 20,000. ᵖ | 1,457,800 |
| 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) | 81.48 | Survival rate if 20,000 as average productivity per dieSurvival rate if average productivity is 20,000. ᵖ | 0.00026 |
| Coverage (o = % of O) (Esty 1984 formula)Esty 1984 - coverage (% of O) ᵖ (o = % of O) | 97.61% | Die productivity if survival rate 1/2,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/2,000. ᵖ | 10,344.35 |
| 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 | 24,928 kg <br /> 24,928 kg | Die productivity if survival rate 1/5,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/5,000. ᵖ | 25,860.89 |
Remarks
References
- ^ Newell, Edward T. (1918), "Tarsos under Alexander", AJN 52, p. 69-115, pl. 1-8.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Callataÿ, François de (1997), Recueil quantitatif des émissions monétaires hellénistiques, Numismatique Romaine, Wetteren, X + 341 p.
