Thebes, electrum, hemidrachms (Dionysos/seated infant Heracles strangling serpents) (367-362 BCE)
From SILVER
367 BCE - 362 BCE Electrum 2,863 kg
Description
| Obverse: | Bearded head of Dionysos to right, wearing ivy wreath. |
| Reverse: | ΘΕ (Greek).The infant Herakles seated facing, strangling two serpents, all within incuse square |
Mint and issuing power
| Mint: | Thebes | Ancient region: | Boeotia | Modern country: Greece | Authority: |
Chronology
| From | 367 BCE | to | 362 BCE | Period: Classical 480-323 BC 
|
Physical description
| Metal: | Electrum http://nomisma.org/id/el | Median weight in grams | 3.02 | Denomination: | hemidrachm
|
Standard: |
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.]]1Gartland 2013, p. 23-24, "[[Die study reference" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.]]2Fischer-Bossert 2025, p. 259-260 | ||
| Coin series reference: | |||
| Coin series web reference: | |||
Obverse dies distribution
| Frequency ᵖ | Number of obverses ᵖ (o) | % (o) | Number of coins (n) | % (n) | Die name |
| 1 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 6.67 | 2 |
| 2 | 1 | 25 | 2 | 13.33 | 3 |
| 3 | 1 | 25 | 3 | 20 | 4 |
| 9 | 1 | 25 | 9 | 60 | 1 |
| Total | 4 of 4 | 100 | 15 of 15 | 100 |
Reverse dies distribution
no distribution is available
Quantification
| Number of obverses ᵖ (o) | 4 | Number of singletons (o1) ᵖ | 1 |
| Number of reverse dies (r) | 4 | Number of coins (n) | 15 |
| Coins per obverse die (n/o) | 3.75 | Coins per reverse die (n/r) | 3.75 |
| Reverse per obverse ratio (r/o) | 1 | Percentage of singletons (o1) ᵖ | 25 % |
| Original number of dies (O) (Carter 1983 formula) ᵖ | 4.74 | Coins struck if 20,000 as average productivity per die ᵖ | 94,800 |
| Original number of dies (O) (Esty 2011 formula) ᵖ (O) | 5.45 | Survival rate if 20,000 as average productivity per die ᵖ | 0.00016 |
| Coverage (o = % of O) (Esty 1984 formula) ᵖ (o = % of O) | 93.33% | Die productivity if survival rate 1/2,000 ᵖ | 6,329.11 |
| Weight of silver (in kg) if 20,000 coins per die (O = Carter formula) ᵖ | 2,863 kg <br /> 2,863 kg | Die productivity if survival rate 1/5,000 ᵖ | 15,822.78 |
Remarks
Most likely two workstations Likely military The die study of Gartland 2013 has been improved by Brad Nelson in an appendix to Fischer-Bossert 2025
References
- ^ Gartland, Samuel D. (2013), "The Electrum Coinage of Thebes," Numismatic Chronicle, 173, p. 23–32.
- ^ Fischer-Bossert, Wolfgang (2025), "Pindar, die Sirene und der Tempelraub," in Kata Endreffy , Christopher A. Faraone and Hans Rupprecht Goette (eds), Everything Is Illuminated. Studies on Graeco-Roman Iconography in Honour of Árpád M. Nagy, Studia Archaeologica 274, Rome, L'Erma di Breitschneider, p. 225-275.
