Coins struck at Sidon
1 catalogued coin and note attributed to Sidon, with weights, legends, dates and Wikimedia-sourced images across Achaemenid Empire.
In short
Sidon was the leading Phoenician mint of the Achaemenid empire, striking heavy silver double shekels showing a Phoenician war galley and the Great King in his chariot — Persian sea power in coin form. Sidon is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 352 BCE – 365 CE. Its output here covers Silver in the principal denominations, issued under Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon.
- Catalogued
- 1
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 0
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 1 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 352 BCE – 365 CE |
| Eras represented | Achaemenid Empire |
| Metals | Silver |
| Issuers | Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon |
| Region | Phoenicia, Lebanese coast |
| Flagship coin | Double shekel ≈26 g |
| Types | War galley; Great King in chariot |
| Disruption | Revolt and destruction, c. 345 BCE |
The Persian navy's home port
Phoenician cities supplied the Achaemenid fleet, and Sidon's coinage advertises the relationship: a galley before city walls on one face, the King of Persia riding in a chariot on the other, sometimes followed by the city's own king.
The double shekel, at roughly 26 g, is among the heaviest silver coins of the Persian empire and one of the most visually informative objects it produced.
Revolt and end
Sidon revolted against Artaxerxes III and was destroyed around 345 BCE, an event the coin sequence registers as an abrupt break. Issues resume under later kings and then under Alexander.
Dated issues in the fourth century BCE make Sidonian silver unusually useful for chronology, and its royal names anchor the sequence of Phoenician client kings.
Achaemenid Empire · 550 – 330 BCE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Sidon
- What do Sidonian coins show?
- A Phoenician war galley before city walls, and the Persian Great King in a chariot — a direct statement of the naval partnership between Sidon and the Achaemenid empire.
- How heavy is a Sidonian double shekel?
- About 26 g of silver, among the largest denominations struck anywhere in the Achaemenid empire.
- What coins were struck at Sidon?
- Sidon is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 352 BCE – 365 CE. Its output here covers Silver in the principal denominations, issued under Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon.
- How many Sidon pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 1 item, dated 352 BCE – 365 CE, spread across 1 era: Achaemenid Empire.
- Which metals were used for Sidon coinage?
- Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.