Gold Coin from Ancient Syracuse Discovered in Agrigento, Italy

An urgent excavation organized by the Soprintendenza di Agrigento in the dune of Maddalusa, west of the Akragas river, uncovered a well‑preserved 5th‑century BC gold coin of ancient Syracuse. The obverse shows the head of Hercules facing left, covered by the lion’s skin, while the reverse bears a small female head within a quadripartite square and the legend “Syra”. The coin dates to the period of the Carthaginian invasion of Sicily, when Syracuse, allied with Akragas, minted gold to finance the war effort.

The find was highlighted by cultural heritage assessor Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, who said the discovery “testifies to the importance of archaeological research on the territory and the value of protection activities.” The coin adds to a series of exceptional artifacts from the extensive necropolis of Maddalusa, which stretches over three kilometres along the coast and was used from the early 6th to the late 5th century BC. The site has yielded high‑quality sarcophagi in marble and calcarenite, as well as burial vessels, some of which are displayed at the Regional Archaeological Museum “Pietro Griffo” in Agrigento.