Phoenician Coin This silver Phoenician coin shows an animal-headed ship containing soldiers with shields and helmets above the waves, and a hippocampus, a mythical beast, below. Phoenician gold and silver coins have been found throughout the Mediterranean, evidence of the Phoenicians’ extensive trading network. This particular coin was most likely not used very often, as the images on it are still sharp; silver is soft, and frequent handling would have rubbed off the edges of the images.

(Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY)