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4 Shekels Hacksilber Ingot
| Issuer | |
|---|---|
| Year | 1300 BC - 901 BC |
| Type | Proto coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Unworked obverse face of a cast silver hacksilber ingot of approximately four shekels weight, displaying a heavily patinated, irregular surface exhibiting warm ochre, russet, and dark brown tones with scattered verdigris encrustation consistent with ancient burial. The surface is entirely undecorated and bears no inscriptions, devices, or legends, reflecting the pre-monetary, weight-based exchange system of the ancient Near East. The overall form presents a naturally convex, roughly planar face with an undulating texture characteristic of cast and subsequently fragmentized silver bullion. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Irregular |
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| Additional information |
Hacksilber — silver used by weight rather than as stamped coinage — was the dominant exchange medium across the Levant and ancient Near East for centuries before coined money existed. These ingots, cut or cast to approximate shekel weights, circulated alongside chopped jewelry, scrap, and imported bullion in hoards that mixed material from Egypt, Canaan, Cyprus, and beyond. The shekel at this period was a unit of mass, not a denomination.
Several hoards from Late Bronze Age collapse sites, including Megiddo and Tel Dor, have produced assemblages nearly identical in character to this piece.