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Drachm
| Issuer | Uncertain Philistian city (Cities of Philistia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 450 BC - 333 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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| Obverse description | Bearded male head in left profile, rendered in the Greco-Persian artistic tradition. The head is adorned with a crested helmet or elaborate headdress with incised ribbing, and features well-defined facial details including a prominent beard and strong jaw. The style reflects the eclectic Philistian coinage of the Persian period, blending Greek and Near Eastern iconographic elements. The figure occupies the full flan with bold, high-relief modeling. |
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| Mintage | ND (450 BC - 333 BC) |
| Additional information |
The Philistian city-coinage of the fifth and fourth centuries BC remains one of the most contested areas in ancient numismatics — mint attributions shift with nearly every major study, and the specific issuing city for this type has never been settled with confidence. These small silver pieces were struck under Achaemenid Persian suzerainty, a period when coastal Levantine cities enjoyed considerable autonomy in local monetary affairs while remaining firmly within the Persian administrative sphere. The series draws heavily on Athenian and earlier Phoenician prototypes, reflecting the commercial networks these ports depended on.
Gitler and Tal's 2006 corpus remains the definitive reference, assembled largely from excavation finds at Ashkelon, Gaza, and Tell Jemmeh.