‘Extremely rare’ intentionally broken 2,500 year-old silver coin found

On Wednesday, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) unveiled the discovery of a rare silver coin, estimated to be around 2,500 years old, found in the Judean Hills.

This finding is considered one of the earliest instances in Israel providing evidence of the societal shift towards the use of coins.

The artifact dates to a couple of centuries, approximately, after the introduction of coinage.

However, its user might not have been aware of its nature, as the coin had been intentionally cut in half, indicating potential use as “hacksilver” – a form of pre-monetary currency based on weight.

Hacksilver, or hacksilber, consisted of small pieces of silver with no specific shape, obtained from broken jewelry, discarded vessels, dulled knives, and the like.

It served as a form of currency before the advent of coins, Haaretz reported.

READ MORE: https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2024-01-17/ty-article/israeli-archaeologists-find-half-of-very-early-coin-near-jerusalem/0000018d-174a-d7c2-a1cd-37ce9be60000

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