The first of its kind to be discovered in Israeli waters, an extremely rare and “remarkably well preserved” Roman-era bronze coin depicting the moon goddess Luna was unveiled by Israeli archaeologists on Tuesday.
The coin was found by archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority while conducting explorations off Haifa in northern Israel.
The coin was minted in Alexandria in modern-day Egypt and features the zodiac sign Cancer below Luna and the Roman emperor of the time, Antoninus Pius, on the other side.
The term “year eight” refers to the eighth year of Antoninus Pius’s tenure, which spanned from 138 to 161, during the Pax Romana period, a time of largely peaceful conditions across the Roman Empire.
The coin is one of 13 in a set that includes examples found elsewhere in the world. One of the coins features the full zodiac wheel, while another shows the 12 signs of the zodiac.
According to a statement from Jacob Sharvit, head of the IAA’s maritime archaeology team, “This is the first time such a coin has been unearthed off Israel’s coast.”
These discoveries, he continued, “have been incredibly well preserved; some are quite uncommon, and their finding completes pieces of the historical puzzle of the country’s past”.
They were lost at sea and disappeared from sight for hundreds and thousands of years.
The Luna coin was discovered with a “little trove” of other coins, according to Sharvit, and the location of the find suggested there had been a nearby shipwreck.
Israeli archaeologists revealed third-century Roman coins and a golden ring from the same era that was discovered in a shipwreck off the ancient port of Caesarea.
The ring has an early Christian emblem for Jesus engraved in its gemstone.
Eli Eskosido, general director of the IAA, stated in a statement on Monday that “Israel has transformed its perspective of the water” over the past ten years.
According to Eskosido, “the sea is now regarded as an intrinsic component of our cultural legacy, rather than just serving as the country’s border.”
This process includes a maritime survey of the area around Haifa, and the rare coin that was found serves as a potent reminder of the cultural significance of the area.