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Drachm
| Issuer | Gaza |
|---|---|
| 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 | Female head in right profile, rendered in the Attic Greek style, with finely detailed wavy hair drawn back and secured, exposing the ear adorned with a small earring. The facial features are sensitively modelled with a pronounced almond-shaped eye, delicate nose, and slightly parted lips. The bust is bare, and the design occupies the full flan without border or inscription, reflecting the strong Athenian artistic influence prevalent in Philistian coinage of the fifth and fourth centuries BC. |
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| Reverse description | Bearded male head facing full front, rendered in archaic style within a shallow incuse square, depicting a heavily bearded deity or heroic figure — most likely a Bes-like or Herakles-inspired visage — with wide-set eyes beneath a furrowed brow, prominent cheekbones, and a full, striated beard covering the lower face. The face fills the incuse square almost entirely, with partial decorative elements visible along the lateral borders. Two Phoenician letters (𐤆 𐤆), interpreted as the abbreviation for Gaza, appear in the field. |
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| Additional information |
Gaza sat at the southwestern terminus of the overland spice and incense routes from Arabia, and its fifth- and fourth-century civic coinage reflects that position — struck to facilitate trade rather than proclaim dynastic authority. The city operated under Achaemenid suzerainty throughout this period yet retained enough administrative autonomy to produce its own silver issues, a privilege not granted to every satrapal dependency.
Gitler and Tal's classification work revealed just how many distinct Philisto-Arabian die groups exist within this series, with VI.14D representing one of the more localized production runs. Die linkage studies suggest short, concentrated striking episodes rather than continuous mint activity.