A rare silver-plated coin from ancient Cyprus has been discovered on an Ashdod beach, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced, representing the first known find of its kind in Israel.
Avi Chaprak, deputy director of Ashdod's Beaches Department, found the coin approximately a month ago while searching for items lost by beachgoers. He reported it to the antiquities authority as required by law.
Experts identified the artifact as a "siglos" Minted in Salamis on Cyprus' eastern coast around the mid-5th century B.C., during the period of Persian rule. The approximately 11-gram coin features a recumbent ram on one side and a ram's head within a sunken square on the reverse, accompanied by a laurel branch and three symbols in ancient Cypriot syllabic script.
Yanniv David Levy, a researcher and curator in the authority's Coin Department, explained that the coin is made of base metal coated with silver - a common practice in Cypriot coinage due to silver shortages on the island. He noted that Persian-era coins of this size are uncommon in the archaeological record because many were cut into smaller pieces for local trade. The discovery of a complete example along Israel's Mediterranean coast is particularly significant for understanding regional commerce.
Evangeline Markou, an expert on ancient Cypriot coinage at the National Hellenic Research Foundation in Athens, stated that while Salamis coins circulated throughout the eastern Mediterranean, discoveries with documented origins are rare. The find provides evidence of trade and maritime connections between Cyprus and the Land of Israel during the 5th century B.C.
Chaprak received a certificate of appreciation from the Israel Antiquities Authority. "I am happy that I was privileged to be part of a discovery of historical value," He said. "For me, it was clear that the coin belonged to our collective heritage, so I immediately delivered it to the Israel Antiquities Authority."