Full Breakdown
Rare Cypriot Silver Siglos Unearthed on Ashdod Beach
7/28/2026, 11:28:14 AM
Discovery of the Coin
Deputy director of the Ashdod Beaches Department, Avi Chaprak, was conducting his routine search for lost items along the shoreline when he identified an object that was not a typical lost item. About a month before the report, Chaprak recovered a Cypriot coin and, in accordance with Israel’s antiquities law, turned it over to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). The IAA’s Coin Department confirmed that the piece is a siglos minted in the ancient city of Salamis on Cyprus’s east coast during the mid-5th century BCE, when the island was under Persian rule.
Historical Context
Salamis was a major urban centre of Cyprus whose coinage circulated widely across the eastern Mediterranean. During the Persian period the island faced a shortage of silver, leading to the production of base-metal blanks later plated with a thin silver layer. Such “silver-plated” coins are known from archaeological finds but are rarely recovered intact, especially from coastal contexts.
Physical Description and Rarity
The coin weighs approximately 11 g. Its obverse shows a left-facing recumbent ram; the reverse displays a left-facing ram’s head within a sunken square frame, a vertical laurel branch and three symbols interpreted as Cypriot syllabic script. Although it initially appears solid silver, examination revealed a silver-plated core—a common practice of the period. Large silver coins from the Persian era are uncommon because they were often cut into smaller fragments for local trade.
Significance for Trade Studies
Yanniv David Levy, researcher and curator in the IAA’s Coin Department, notes that the coin’s well-documented provenance allows scholars to use it as a reliable datum for reconstructing economic and maritime ties between Cyprus and the Land of Israel around 2,500 years ago. Evangeline Markou, senior researcher at the Institute of Historical Research, National Hellenic Research Foundation, adds that finds with exact provenance are rare and can illuminate ancient trade routes and cultural exchange in the region.
Official Statements & Responses
The IAA presented Chaprak with a certificate of appreciation on July 26 2026, acknowledging his prompt reporting and cooperation. The Ministry highlighted that such discoveries enrich collective heritage and support ongoing research into the country’s ancient history.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The discovery of a complete coin from the coastal area is unusual on all counts and of special historical importance,” — Yanniv David Levy, IAA Coin Department
- “For me, it was clear that the coin belonged to our collective heritage, so I immediately delivered it to the Israel Antiquities Authority,” — Avi Chaprak, department deputy director
- “Coins of this size and value from the Persian period are rare altogether in the archaeological record,” — Yanniv David Levy, IAA Coin Department
