Jerusalem: A rare silver coated coin dating back around 2,500 years has been discovered on Israel's Mediterranean coast, giving archaeologists an important new piece of evidence about trade and travel during the biblical era. The discovery, made on a beach in the southern city of Ashdod, is being described as one of the most significant coin finds in recent years because it is the first known example of its kind ever recovered in Israel.
The ancient coin was found by Avi Chaprak, Deputy Director of the Ashdod Beaches Department, while carrying out his routine work along the shoreline. Initially believing it to be an ordinary silver coin, he later suspected it could be of historical importance and handed it over to the Israel Antiquities Authority. Officials praised his decision and presented him with a certificate of appreciation for reporting the find instead of keeping it.
Experts from the Israel Antiquities Authority later confirmed that the coin dates to the middle of the fifth century BC, during the period when much of the eastern Mediterranean was under the rule of the Persian Empire. The coin was minted in the ancient city of Salamis on the island of Cyprus, which was one of the region's most important commercial centres.
Although the coin appears to be made entirely of silver, detailed examination revealed that it is actually made of a base metal covered with a thin layer of silver. Archaeologists say this method was sometimes used in ancient Cyprus because the island had limited natural silver resources. The coin weighs about 11 grams and belongs to a denomination known as a siglos.
Researchers say complete examples of this type of coin are extremely rare today. In ancient times, many similar coins were cut into smaller pieces so they could be used for everyday transactions. As a result, very few intact specimens have survived, making this discovery especially valuable for historians.
According to Yanniv David Levy, a researcher and curator in the Israel Antiquities Authority's Coin Department, this is the first coin of its exact type ever found in Israel. He explained that while similar coins circulated around the eastern Mediterranean, very few have been discovered in places where archaeologists know their exact location and context. Because this coin was recovered from a documented site on the Israeli coast, it provides reliable evidence that can help researchers better understand ancient trade networks.
The discovery also highlights the close commercial relationship that existed between Cyprus and the southern Levant more than two millennia ago. Historians believe merchant ships regularly crossed the Mediterranean carrying goods such as wine, olive oil, timber, metals and pottery between the two regions. The presence of the coin on Israel's coastline suggests that sailors, merchants or travellers may have brought it there during one of these trading voyages.
The coin also has links to the broader biblical era. It was minted several centuries before the events described in the New Testament, but its place of origin, Salamis, later became well known in Christian history. According to the Book of Acts, Salamis was one of the first cities visited by the Apostles Paul and Barnabas during Paul's first missionary journey. Although the newly discovered coin predates that period, it comes from a city with lasting religious and historical importance.
Dr Evangeline Markou, an expert on ancient Cypriot coinage, said discoveries like this are exceptionally uncommon because most coins from Salamis have been found without a clear archaeological context. She noted that this find could improve scholars' understanding of how money circulated across the eastern Mediterranean and how trade connected Cyprus with the coastal cities of the ancient Land of Israel.
The Israel Antiquities Authority says the coin will now undergo further scientific examination and conservation. Researchers hope additional studies will reveal more about its manufacture, circulation and journey before it was eventually lost along the Mediterranean shoreline.
While only a single coin has been recovered, archaeologists believe it represents far more than an isolated object. It offers a rare glimpse into the commercial life of the ancient world and strengthens historical evidence that maritime trade connected Cyprus and the Levant during the Persian period. The remarkable discovery adds another important chapter to the rich archaeological history of Israel and provides fresh insight into the economic and cultural links that shaped the biblical era.