What metal and weight is the Sidonian Double Shekel under Achaemenid Suzerainty?

Silver, weighing approximately ~27 g.

Achaemenid Empire

Sidonian Double Shekel under Achaemenid Suzerainty

The most explicit numismatic image of Achaemenid imperial overlordship — the Phoenician vassal king literally walks behind the Persian Great King's chariot.

Key specifications for Sidonian Double Shekel under Achaemenid Suzerainty
Date	c. 365–352 BCE
Ruler / issuer	Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon
Mint	Sidon
Metal	Silver
Weight	~27 g
Era	Achaemenid Empire (550 – 330 BCE)
Region	From the Indus to the Aegean

Obverse

Phoenician war galley before crenellated city walls.

Reverse

Persian Great King in chariot driven by charioteer; king of Sidon walking behind.

Historical context — Achaemenid Empire

Darius I (522–486 BCE) reformed imperial coinage, issuing the gold Daric and silver Siglos. Bearing the running or kneeling archer-king, they are among the most iconic ancient coins.

Read the full Achaemenid Empire essay →

Frequently asked

What is the Sidonian Double Shekel under Achaemenid Suzerainty?: The most explicit numismatic image of Achaemenid imperial overlordship — the Phoenician vassal king literally walks behind the Persian Great King's chariot. It was struck in c. 365–352 BCE at Sidon under Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon.
What metal and weight is it?: Silver, weighing approximately ~27 g.
What designs appear on it?: Obverse: Phoenician war galley before crenellated city walls. Reverse: Persian Great King in chariot driven by charioteer; king of Sidon walking behind.

Silver Siglos (Type IIIb)

Xerxes I – Artaxerxes II

c. 485–375 BCE

20 Sigloi = 1 Daric. Hundreds of thousands survive — the most common Achaemenid coin.

Satrapal Coin of Asia Minor

Achaemenid satrap (probably Tiribazos)

Early 4th century BCE

Among the earliest realistic portraits in Western coinage.

Mazaios Satrapal Double Shekel — Babylon

Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon

c. 331–328 BCE

Struck by Mazaios, the Achaemenid satrap who surrendered Babylon to Alexander in 331 BCE and was confirmed as governor. His coinage is a hinge moment: Achaemenid satrapal iconography continued unchanged into the early Macedonian administration.

Philisto-Arabian / Samarian Obol

Local Achaemenid governors

c. 450–333 BCE

Tiny silver fractions struck by Achaemenid-appointed governors of the Levantine coast — blending Persian, Greek and Phoenician iconography. Image: closely related satrapal type.