Panticapaeum, Gorgippia, Phanagoria (Mithridates Eupator), billon, didrachms (89-85 BCE)
From SILVER
89 BCE - 85 BCE Silver 4,167 kg
Description
| ObverseInscription or printing placed on the obverse.: | Head of Dionysos right, wearing ivy wreath. |
| ReverseInscription or printing placed on the reverse.: | ΠΑΝΤΙΚΑΠΑΙΩΝ (Greek).Legend within ivy wreath with bunch of grapes on the top. Above, monogram. |
Mint and issuing power
| MintIdentifies the place of manufacture or issue of a numismatic object.: | Panticapaeum | Ancient regionAncient region.: | Bosporus | Modern countryModern country: Russia (Crimea) | 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: | Mithridates VI Eupator (king of the Pontic kingdom, c. 120-63 BC), Pontic kingdom |
Chronology
| FromIdentifies the initial date in a range assigned in a numismatic context. | 89 BCE | toIdentifies the final date in a range assigned in a numismatic context.. | 85 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 | 8.20 | DenominationTerm indicating the value of a numismatic object. Examples: tetradrachm, chalkous, denarius.: | didrachm
|
StandardStandard.: |
Image
S429 Panticapaeum didrachms.jpg [1]
References
| Die study referencePublication of the study: | Abramzon et al. 20211Abramzon et al. 2021 | ||
| Coin series referenceReference to coin series study: | Sear I2Sear I, n° 1697, Sear II3Sear II, n° 3612, HGC 74HGC 7, n° 98 and 162 | ||
| 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). |
| 2 | 1 | 3.85 | 2 | 0.42 | 24 |
| 3 | 1 | 3.85 | 3 | 0.63 | 5 |
| 4 | 2 | 7.69 | 8 | 1.67 | 1, 23 |
| 6 | 1 | 3.85 | 6 | 1.25 | 11 |
| 7 | 3 | 11.54 | 21 | 4.38 | 4, 6, 19 |
| 8 | 2 | 7.69 | 16 | 3.33 | 15, 20 |
| 9 | 2 | 7.69 | 18 | 3.75 | 10, 21 |
| 10 | 3 | 11.54 | 30 | 6.25 | 2, 18, 22 |
| 11 | 1 | 3.85 | 11 | 2.29 | 26 |
| 15 | 1 | 3.85 | 15 | 3.13 | 8 |
| 17 | 1 | 3.85 | 17 | 3.54 | 25 |
| 18 | 2 | 7.69 | 36 | 7.5 | 9, 13 |
| 20 | 1 | 3.85 | 20 | 4.17 | 14 |
| 23 | 1 | 3.85 | 23 | 4.79 | 7 |
| 25 | 1 | 3.85 | 25 | 5.21 | 16 |
| 29 | 1 | 3.85 | 29 | 6.04 | 17 |
| 40 | 1 | 3.85 | 40 | 8.33 | 3 |
| 160 | 1 | 3.85 | 160 | 33.33 | 12 |
| Total | 26 of 26 | 100.04 | 480 of 480 | 100.01 |
Reverse dies distribution
no distribution is available
Quantification
| Number of obversesNumber of obverse dies. ᵖ (o) | 26 | Number of singletons (o1)The number of singleton coins. ᵖ | 0 |
| Number of reverse diesNumber of reverse dies. (r) | 42 | Number of coinsNumber of coins. (n) | 480 |
| Coins per obverse dieNumber of coins per obverse die. (n/o) | 18.46 | Coins per reverse dieNumber of coins per reverse die. (n/r) | 11.43 |
| Reverse per obverse ratioRatio of obverse dies divided by reverse dies. (r/o) | 1.62 | Percentage of singletons (o1)number of coins (n) divided by the number of singletons (o1) ᵖ | 0 % |
| Original number of dies (O) (Carter 1983 formula)The estimation of the number of coins according to Carter 1983 ᵖ | 25.41 | Coins struck if 20,000 as average productivity per dieCoins made if the average productivity for obverses (according to Carter) is 20,000. ᵖ | 508,200 |
| 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) | 27.49 | Survival rate if 20,000 as average productivity per dieSurvival rate if average productivity is 20,000. ᵖ | 0.00094 |
| Coverage (o = % of O) (Esty 1984 formula)Esty 1984 - coverage (% of O) ᵖ (o = % of O) | 100% | Die productivity if survival rate 1/2,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/2,000. ᵖ | 37,780.4 |
| 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 | 4,167 kg <br /> 4,167 kg | Die productivity if survival rate 1/5,000Average productivity if survival rate is 1/5,000. ᵖ | 94,451 |
Remarks
Most likely one single workstation Coins in name of Panticapaeum, Phanagoria and Gorgippia are heavily interlinked; they have been struck in the same mint, most likely Panticapaeum. They content of silver is poor (c. 40%)
References
- ^ Abramzon, Mikhail G. - Novichikhin, Andrei M. - Saprykina, Irina A. - Smekalova, Tatiana N. (2021), A Hoard of Bosporan Didrachms from the Village of Fontalovskaya (IGCH 1143): The Mithridatic Wars Time Mercenaries' Salary?, Moscow, 2021.
- ^ Sear, David R. (1978), Greek coins and their values. Vol. I, Europe, London, xl, 316 p.
- ^ Sear, David R. (1979), Greek coins and their values. Vol. II, Asia and North Africa, London, xlviii, p. 317-762
- ^ Hoover, Oliver D. (2012), Handbook of Greek Coinages. 7. Coins of northern and Central Anatolia - Pontos, Paphlagonia, Bithynia, Phrygia, Galatia, lykaonia, and Kappadokia (with Kolchis and the Kimmerian bosporos), Lancaster, lxxxii, 352 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.
