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Double Shekel - Ba'alshallim II Sidon
| Issuer | Sidon |
|---|---|
| Year | 384 BC - 370 BC |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Shekel (539-332 BCE) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Phoenician |
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| Reverse description | The Great King of Persia, robed and wearing a tall kidaris, is shown seated in a two-wheeled chariot drawn by a single horse galloping to the right, with a charioteer holding the reins before him. A standing Egyptian attendant or soldier, depicted in a frontal stance, is positioned to the right behind the chariot, his figure rendered in a mixed Egypto-Persian artistic style. The spoke-wheeled chariot is depicted in fine detail, consistent with Achaemenid court iconography as adapted by Sidonian engravers. The overall scene reflects the political subordination of Sidon to the Persian Empire during this period. |
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| Additional information |
Ba'alshallim II ruled Sidon as a vassal king under Achaemenid Persian authority, and his coinage reflects that arrangement directly — the double shekel series was struck to pay tribute obligations and finance the city's naval contributions to the Persian fleet. Sidon maintained the largest and most capable Phoenician navy of the period, and large-denomination silver issues like this one circulated primarily at the administrative and military level rather than in everyday commerce.
The .980 fine silver is notably pure for Phoenician civic coinage of the era, consistent with Sidonian access to refined bullion through Levantine trade networks.