Rare 2,500-Year-Old Cypriot Coin Discovered on Israel's Ashdod Beach

A rare 2,500-year-old coin originating from the ancient city of Salamis in Cyprus has been discovered on a beach in Ashdod, Israel, marking the first find of its kind in the country.
The coin was found by Avi Chaprak, Deputy Director of the Ashdod Beaches Department, who is more accustomed to helping beachgoers recover lost jewelry and personal belongings. Recognizing its potential significance, Chaprak handed the coin over to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in accordance with Israel's antiquities law.
Experts at the IAA's Coin Department identified the artifact as an exceptionally rare siglos, minted in Salamis around the mid-5th century BC. The ancient city, located on Cyprus's eastern coast, was a major center of trade and culture in the Mediterranean during the Persian period.
Salamis also holds biblical significance. According to Acts 13:5, it was the first city where the Apostle Paul and Barnabas preached during their first missionary journey across Cyprus.
The coin weighs about 11 grams and was initially believed to be solid silver. However, detailed examination revealed it was made from a base metal coated with silver—a practice known to have been used in ancient Cypriot coinage due to silver shortages on the island.
One side of the coin depicts a reclining ram facing left, while the reverse features a ram's head within a sunken square frame, accompanied by a laurel branch and three symbols believed to be part of the ancient Cypriot syllabic script.
Yanniv David Levy, researcher and curator in the IAA Coin Department, described the discovery as historically significant.
"Coins of this size and value from the Persian period are extremely rare in the archaeological record," Levy said. "Most silver coins of this denomination were cut into smaller pieces for use in local trade. Finding a complete specimen in a coastal area is highly unusual and provides valuable historical evidence."
Dr. Evangeline Markou, Senior Researcher at the National Hellenic Research Foundation and an expert in ancient Cypriot coinage, noted that Salamis coins circulated widely across the eastern Mediterranean.
"Although these coins were used throughout the region, discoveries with a known provenance are uncommon," Markou said. "This find offers important insights into trade connections and maritime movement between Cyprus and the Land of Israel approximately 2,500 years ago."
According to the researchers, the careful reporting and preservation of the coin will help historians better understand the economic and maritime links that connected the eastern Mediterranean during the Persian era.