Rare 2,500-year-old coin found on Israeli beach reveals ancient Cyprus trade links

An employee on Israel's Ashdod beach recently uncovered a rare 2,500-year-old coin from the Persian period, marking what experts say is the first known discovery of its kind in Israel. The Israel Antiquities Authority identified the coin as originating from the ancient city of Salamis in Cyprus.

The discovery offers new evidence of commercial and maritime links between Cyprus and the Land of Israel during the fifth century BCE, providing researchers with an unusually well-preserved artifact from a period in which coins of this type were often cut into smaller pieces for everyday trade.

Avi Chaprak, deputy director of the Ashdod Beaches Department, made the discovery while carrying out his regular duties. Chaprak, who typically helps beachgoers locate lost keys and jewelry, unexpectedly uncovered the ancient coin.

"At first glance it looked to be made of silver, but a closer examination showed it to actually be of metal that was only plated with silver; a known phenomenon in Cypriot silver coins from this period, given the shortage of silver on the island," said Yanniv David Levy, a researcher and curator in the Israel Antiquities Authority's Coin Department.

The coin bears ancient Cypriot syllabic script.

Levy explained that "coins of this size and value from the Persian period are rare altogether in the archaeological record. Usually, silver coins of this size were not preserved intact. Over time, they were cut into small pieces, for use as local trade currency. Furthermore, evidence of such use is known mainly from inland sites in Israel. Therefore, the discovery of a complete coin from the coastal area, is thus unusual on all accounts, and of special historical importance."

Dr. Evangeline Markou, an expert in ancient Cypriot coins and senior researcher at the Institute of Historical Research at the National Hellenic Research Foundation, explained that "Salamis coins from the 5th century BCE were circulating throughout the eastern Mediterranean. However, finds with an exact provenance are rarer, and therefore this coin potentially offers significant information about trade ties and movement between Cyprus and the Land of Israel during this period."

Levy said the discovery provides valuable insight into ancient maritime trade in the eastern Mediterranean.

"The circumstances of the discovery and the accurate reporting allow us researchers not only to identify the coin itself, but also to use it as a reliable source of information about economic and maritime ties that existed in this region some 2,500 years ago."

Chaprak said he was honored to receive a certificate recognizing the discovery.

"I am happy that I was privileged to be part of a discovery of historical value," he said.

"For me, it was clear that the coin belonged to our collective heritage, so I immediately delivered it to the Israel Antiquities Authority. If through this act I contributed another small piece towards the research and history of the Land of Israel, then that is a great honor for me," he added.

Israel's Heritage Minister Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu welcomed the discovery.

"The rare coin discovered on the Ashdod coast is tangible evidence of the maritime and commercial ties that existed between the Land of Israel and Cyprus some 2,500 years ago," he stated.

"I commend Avi Chaprak, who acted responsibly and transferred the coin to the Israel Antiquities Authority. The public's cooperation in reporting on antiquities makes it possible to preserve the heritage assets that belong to all of us, to deepen knowledge about the country's past, and to ensure that the finds will be preserved and studied for the benefit of future generations," Eliyahu concluded.

The discovery follows another significant archaeological find along Israel's coastline. In February, a 12th-century Crusader sword was discovered off the country's northern coast near Haifa.