Coins struck at Ashkelon
1 catalogued coin and note attributed to Ashkelon, with weights, legends, dates and Wikimedia-sourced images across Achaemenid Empire.
In short
Ashkelon on the Levantine coast struck small silver under Achaemenid Persian administration, part of the Philistian coinage of the fifth and fourth centuries BCE. Ashkelon is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 333 BCE – 450 CE. Its output here covers Silver in the Obol denominations, issued under Local Achaemenid governors.
- Catalogued
- 1
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 1
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 1 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 333 BCE – 450 CE |
| Eras represented | Achaemenid Empire |
| Metals | Silver |
| Denominations | Obol |
| Issuers | Local Achaemenid governors |
| Region | Philistia, Levantine coast |
| Period | 5th–4th century BCE |
| Typical weight | Under 1 g silver |
| Models copied | Athenian owls, Phoenician types |
Philistian small silver
The coastal cities of Philistia — Ashkelon, Gaza and Ashdod — issued tiny silver fractions imitating Athenian owls and Phoenician types while adding local deities and Aramaic or Philistian letters.
These issues show how Persian imperial administration permitted local monetary autonomy: taxes flowed upward in bullion, but the money in the market was a city's own.
Collecting Philistian coinage
Almost all pieces weigh under a gram, and the imagery is dense and idiosyncratic: janiform heads, sphinxes, Bes figures and hybrid animals crowded onto a flan the size of a lentil.
Attribution depends on style and letter fragments at high magnification, and the field remains actively researched, so type identifications continue to change.
Achaemenid Empire · 550 – 330 BCE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Ashkelon
- What is Philistian coinage?
- Tiny silver fractions struck by the coastal cities of Ashkelon, Gaza and Ashdod under Achaemenid rule, blending Athenian, Phoenician, Egyptian and local imagery.
- Why are they so small?
- They served local retail transactions. Larger payments and imperial tribute moved as weighed bullion or as sigloi and darics.
- What coins were struck at Ashkelon?
- Ashkelon is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 333 BCE – 450 CE. Its output here covers Silver in the Obol denominations, issued under Local Achaemenid governors.
- How many Ashkelon pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 1 item, dated 333 BCE – 450 CE, spread across 1 era: Achaemenid Empire.
- Which metals were used for Ashkelon coinage?
- Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Which denominations are associated with Ashkelon?
- Obol. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.