Catalog
1/4 Shekel Ashdod
| Issuer | Ashdod |
|---|---|
| Year | 539 BC - 332 BC |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Reverse description | Within a recessed square incuse frame bordered at the top by a rope or cable pattern, a lion or feline creature is depicted attacking a bull or horned animal to the right. The predator lunges forward with forepaws extended onto the back of its prey, which is shown in a submissive posture. Above the figural scene, the Aramaic inscription naming the city of Ashdod appears in the field. The composition is characteristic of Persian-period Philistian coinage, combining Near Eastern iconographic traditions with local engraving conventions. |
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| Reverse lettering | אשדד (Translation: Ashdod) |
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| Additional information |
Ashdod, one of the five principal Philistine cities, came under Achaemenid Persian administrative control following Cambyses II's campaigns, and local civic coinages like this quarter shekel emerged as part of a broader Persian policy allowing Levantine coastal cities to mint their own silver — primarily to pay troops and facilitate port commerce. The Philisto-Arabian coinage tradition these issues belong to drew heavily on Athenian and earlier Phoenician weight standards, which explains the frequent stylistic borrowing visible across the series.
Hendin 1002 is among the rarer civic types from this coastal cluster. Dies were cut locally and show considerable variety across specimens.