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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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| Diameter | 13 mm |
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| Obverse description | Bearded male head facing left, rendered in the oriental style, wearing a distinctive eastern tiara or satrapal headdress adorned with decorative elements. The facial features display strong modeling typical of Achaemenid-influenced Philistian coinage, with a prominent beard rendered in striated curls. The effigy fills the field with robust relief characteristic of fifth-to-fourth century BC Palestinian silver issues. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central design of a paradise flower or Phoenician palmette with voluted base, flanked by two confronted birds (vis-à-vis) perched within the upper scrolls of the volutes. A dolphin appears below the central motif, the entire composition enclosed within a dotted border square set within a recessed incuse square, a hallmark feature of Philistian civic coinage of the Persian period. |
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| Additional information |
The Philistian coinage of the fifth and fourth centuries BC remains one of the most contested areas of ancient numismatics — attribution to specific cities like Gaza, Ashkelon, or Ashdod is still actively debated, and the "uncertain" designation here is honest rather than lazy. These issues emerged as Persian imperial administration encouraged local silver coinage for tax collection and troop payment throughout the Levantine satrapies. The series draws heavily on Athenian and Sidonian prototypes, reflecting the Mediterranean commercial networks passing through Philistia before Alexander's campaigns ended local civic minting entirely.