2,200-Year-Old Coin Found in Israel

Gold piece was minted in Alexandria
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 12, 2010 5:11 PM CDT
2,200-Year-Old Coin Found in Israel
A 2200 year old coin is seen at the Israel Museum, in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010.   (AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill)

A 2,200-year-old gold coin has been found in Israel. The artifact, which is being hailed as one of the rarest to be found in the country's history, is a nearly a full ounce—about five times heavier than the typical coin of the era. It comes from Alexandria, having been minted by Ptolemy V, and features Queen Arsinoe II Philadelphus, CNN reports.

"This is an amazing numismatic find," the head of Israel's Antiquities Authority said. "The coin is beautiful and in excellent preservation. It is the heaviest gold coin with the highest contemporary value of any coin ever found in an excavation in Israel."
(More Israel stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X