Abstract Five groups of copper-based coins from the Hellenistic (Seleucid) site of Tell Iẓṭabba (Israel), dated to the second century BCE, are the subject of this study. Various analyses were applied to study the coins’ composition, microstructure, and manufacturing process and to evaluate whether a centralized workshop produced the flans regionally or mints were responsible for their production. Our results show that the coins were made of copper-tin-lead alloys except for one coin. The high lead content likely reflects economic considerations and technological requirements, suggesting that the coins were minted and struck in the same workshops. LIA data indicate that Levantine mints likely utilized similar ore sources even under Seleucid rule. Allocation to raw material sources is hampered by several factors. This study provides new insights into the technology and economy of bronze coin production in the southern Levant during the Hellenistic period, shedding light on the region’s material culture.
Ashkenazi et al. (2026) studied this question.