Obv: Galley left with three Hoplites, Hippocamp below. Rev: Lion attacking bull with kings name (Elpaal) in Phoenician, the first Phonecian king to put his name on a coin.  Metal: Silver 13.18 grams, 26 mm diameter. Condition: good VF/VF.

A Phonecian coastal city of great antiquity, probably established the more famous city of Tyre. The city known in the bible as Gebal and currently Jebail in Lebanon. Byblos became rich in the 3rd millenium BC due to its trade with Egypt in the "Cedars of Lebanon" and resines required for embalming. They invented the alphabet (script) as early as the 18th century BC. The city remained important even after it became part of the Persian empire in 538 BC. The Phoenician fleet defended the Western borders of the empire. When Xerxes attacked Athens in 480 BC, Phoenicia supplied 300 ships (the majority of the Persian fleet). They welcomed Alexander the Great and made significant industrial advances by learning from both Eastern and Western technologies. Famous for producing Royal Purple dye from sea snails which the Greeks called "Phonecian" (purple-red).