4 Shekels Hacksilber Ingot

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.