Ancient Iberian Coinage - Museo Prehistoria

The monetization of the Phoenicians and the Punics
The monetary model of the Phoenician-Punic people who settled in Spain varied
with respect to the Greek colonies. Instead of using silver fractions for their
routinely low level exchanges, they expressed an initial preference for bronze, as in
Ebusus, from the second half of the 4th century BC, and Gadir, in the first years of
the 3rd century BC. Silver was a product that these peoples searched for from an
early time and it comprised one of the goods that were exchanged; nevertheless,
when the Phoenician-Punic society began to articulate their monetary system they
did it with bronze coins instead of silver ones. It seems obvious that these coinages,
by their characteristics, were minted to cover local expenses. It is surprising that the
Ebusus
4th century BC
Eighth
1. 2 g - 11 mm
Gadir
3rd century BC
Half
15