An analysis by Alain Elayi and colleagues of coins minted in Sidon in the fifth and fourth centuries BCE reveals...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
An analysis by Alain Elayi and colleagues of coins minted in Sidon in the fifth and fourth centuries BCE reveals a change in their composition over time: while a coin from circa 450 BCE contains about \(98\%\) silver and \(1\%\) copper, a coin from 367 BCE (the end of Ba'alšillem II's reign) contains \(74.2\%\) silver and \(24.7\%\) copper, giving it a relatively yellowish appearance that traders would have noticed. Because coins with a silver content below \(80\%\) were widely considered unsuitable for trade, Elayi et al. speculate that a crisis in confidence in the currency occurred in Sidon around 367 BCE, which was likely relieved—despite Sidon's persistent oppressive financial obligations—as a result of Ba'alšillem II's successor Abd'aštart I's decision to ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
proclaim that the percentage of silver in coins suitable for trade would be raised to a threshold higher than 80%.
keep the amount of silver in Sidonian coins consistent with that in coins minted in 367 BCE but decrease their weight.
begin minting heavier coins with a proportion of silver to copper similar to that in coins minted in 367 BCE.
fund the mining of some copper deposits that were not available to Ba'alšillem II.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "An analysis by Alain Elayi and colleagues of coins minted in Sidon in the fifth and fourth centuries BCE reveals a change in their composition over time:" |
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| "while a coin from circa 450 BCE contains about 98% silver and 1% copper," |
|
| "a coin from 367 BCE (the end of Ba'alšillem II's reign) contains 74.2% silver and 24.7% copper, giving it a relatively yellowish appearance that traders would have noticed." |
|
| "Because coins with a silver content below 80% were widely considered unsuitable for trade," |
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| "Elayi et al. speculate that a crisis in confidence in the currency occurred in Sidon around 367 BCE," |
|
| "which was likely relieved—despite Sidon's persistent oppressive financial obligations—as a result of Ba'alšillem II's successor Abd'aštart I's decision to ______" |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Research shows that declining silver content in Sidon coins led to a trade crisis around 367 BCE that was resolved by the new ruler's specific monetary policy decision.
Argument Flow: The passage moves from presenting research data showing deteriorating coin quality over time, to explaining why this created a trade problem (below the 80% threshold), to identifying the resulting crisis in confidence, and finally to indicating that Abd'aštart I took some action that fixed the situation despite ongoing financial constraints.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The crisis was caused by coins having only 74.2% silver when 80% was the minimum needed for trade acceptance
- Abd'aštart I needed to restore confidence, but the passage mentions "persistent oppressive financial obligations," suggesting he couldn't simply add more silver
- The right answer should present a practical solution that works within financial constraints while making the currency more acceptable to traders
- Key elements the correct answer must have:
- Addresses the silver content problem in a realistic way
- Works within the mentioned financial limitations
- Would logically restore trader confidence
proclaim that the percentage of silver in coins suitable for trade would be raised to a threshold higher than 80%.
- Proposes raising the silver threshold above 80%
- This would make the crisis worse, not better
- If coins with 74.2% silver were already unsuitable at the 80% threshold, raising the threshold higher would make them even more unsuitable
keep the amount of silver in Sidonian coins consistent with that in coins minted in 367 BCE but decrease their weight.
- Proposes keeping the same silver percentage (74.2%) but making coins lighter
- This is a clever solution: if you can't afford more silver, you can make the same amount of silver go further by reducing coin weight
- Traders get the same silver content per coin but in a more concentrated form
- Works within the financial constraints mentioned in the passage
begin minting heavier coins with a proportion of silver to copper similar to that in coins minted in 367 BCE.
- Suggests making coins heavier while keeping the problematic 74.2% silver ratio
- This doesn't solve the core problem - the coins would still be below the 80% threshold
- Making them heavier just wastes more copper without addressing traders' concerns about silver content
fund the mining of some copper deposits that were not available to Ba'alšillem II.
- Focuses on funding copper mining
- This misses the point entirely - the problem wasn't a lack of copper, but insufficient silver
- More copper would actually make the silver percentage problem worse