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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;IMP Shogun, post: 7620995, member: 114683&quot;]Happy Sunday everyone,</p><p><br /></p><p>I have recently been following tetradrachm&#039;s issued under Imperial Rome (I&#039;m representing Syria/Anatolia here). I&#039;ve noticed some described as silver and others as billon. I&#039;ve also noticed the coins described as silver or billon interchangeably even for the same reference in Prieur. </p><p><br /></p><p>For example Prieur 1183 Macrinus, listed as billon and as silver:</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://leunumismatik.com/en/lot/26/3017" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://leunumismatik.com/en/lot/26/3017" rel="nofollow">https://leunumismatik.com/en/lot/26/3017</a></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=384712#" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=384712#" rel="nofollow">CNG: eAuction 447. SELEUCIS and PIERIA, Laodicea ad Mare. Macrinus. AD 217-218. AR Tetradrachm (26mm, 15.45 g, 6h). (cngcoins.com)</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>By way of reference billon means a majority base metal content (copper) that is something other the precious metal the coin is intended to represent, such as silver, in weight.&nbsp; So does that mean a coin can be silver if it is 50.00001% silver and billon if it&#039;s 49.99999%? </p><p><br /></p><p>The requirement for a &quot;billon&quot; currency, essentially &quot;our&quot; term for less silver content, became more prevalent during the Severan currency debasement preceding the Crisis of the Third Century. But we know precious metal purity cheating is as old as the hills with a common biblical reference predating the Severans by a few centuries citing how moneychangers were required because the half-shekel Temple Tax had to be paid with a Tyrian tetradrachma due to its purity. There are many examples of a larger coin, representing double the weight and value but containing only a fractional increase in total silver (Caracalla and the introduction of the antoninus is a great example). </p><p><br /></p><p>A <a href="https://pontusmithridates.home.blog/coins/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://pontusmithridates.home.blog/coins/" rel="nofollow">drachm is thought to be a fistful</a>, usually in the context of buying that amount of barley or other goods (or base metals). Why trade silver for the base metal when you can have both, said every government debasing!</p><p><br /></p><p>Other helpful hints in this area is the also obvious explanation that a drachm of 3.3g should = 1/2 didrachm of 6.6g = 1/4 tetradrachm 15.or said another way a Tet = 4 drachms.&nbsp; For some reason I think of tet as being ten but of course it&#039;s four.</p><p><br /></p><p>I wanted to write something fun but really wanted to show off pics of my coins (unfortunately not to scale):</p><p><br /></p><p>Vespasian Tet of 69-70 A.D. from Antioch, Syria that certainly could pass for billon:</p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/media/vespasian-tetradrachm-rpc-ii-1945.17609/full?lightbox=1&amp;last_edit_date=1622408896" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p>Vespasian 69–79 A.D. Tetradrachm RPC II 1945 Eagle &quot;AR&quot;&nbsp; 69-70 Antioch, Syria ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤ ΚΑΙΣΑ ΟΥΕΣΠΑΣΙΑΝΟΥ / IEPOV ETOVΣ B </p><p>Eagle standing left on club, with wings spread; in left field, palm frond </p><p>McAlee 334. Prieur 112 </p><p>23.7mm, 15.29g&nbsp; &nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Trajan Tet from Tyre a bit after the cool biblical refences, but very cool in it&#039;s own right and I think we can say very high silver content the bible may be right!:</p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/media/trajan-tetradrachm-rpc-iii-3539.17610/full?lightbox=1&amp;last_edit_date=1622408896" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p>Trajan 98-117 A.D. Tetradrachm RPC III 3539 Melqart AR&nbsp; 110-111 Tyre </p><p>laureate head right on eagle, club beneath neck </p><p>AYTOKΡ KAIC NEΡ TΡAIANOC CEB ΓEΡM ΔAK / ΔHMAΡX EΞ IE YΠATE </p><p>laureate head of Melqart right, lionskin knotted around neck </p><p>From the Sallent Collection, ex-JAZ Numismatics, ex-Ancientnoob </p><p><i><b>(this gem has been on the annual top 10 lists - a prized provenance!</b></i>)</p><p>BMC 14, Prieur 1515 </p><p>24.0g&nbsp; &nbsp; 14.14 6h</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Trajan didrachm from Caesarea, Cappadocia&nbsp; </p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/media/trajan-didrachm-sydenham-210.17611/full?lightbox=1&amp;update=1622408896" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p>Trajan 98-117 A.D. didrachm Metcalf 67d ; Sydenham 210 Mt Argaeus AR 112-117 Cappadocia, Caesarea-Eusebia </p><p>Laureate and draped bust right, globe at point of bust&nbsp; </p><p>AYTOKP KAIC NEP TPAIANOC CEB ΓEPM ΔAK / ΔHMAPX EΞ YPATO ς </p><p>Mt. Argaeus with grotto at bottom containing large cult stone; series of stones lining base </p><p>21.0mm&nbsp; 7.10g</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>And one of Lucius Verus also from Cappadocia</p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/media/lucius-verus-didrachm-sydenham-caesarea-352.17612/full?lightbox=1&amp;update=1622408896" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p>Lucius Verus&nbsp; 161–169 A.D. drachm Sydenham, Caesarea 352 Mt. Argaeus AR </p><p>161-166 Caeseria, Cappadocia </p><p>Bare headed, cuirassed bust right, seen from behind </p><p>AYTOKP OYHPOC CЄBACTOC / YΠA-TOC B&nbsp; </p><p>Mt. Argaeus, trees growing along sides, surmounted by nude figure (Helios) standing facing, globe in right hand, scepter in left. </p><p>From the DePew Collection&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p>20.0mm&nbsp; &nbsp; 6.10g&nbsp; &nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>A bit long winded for the purpose of showing off my coins but I would love to see what everyone has for tets or drachms and it doesn&#039;t have to stay in the imperial period or these regions. Also if anyone recommends reference material to these coin types I&#039;d be most appreciative.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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