Hacksilber – (AR) Silver Proto Money First Millennium BC. Hacksilver. Weight 12.67 grams, Length 21mm.

Hacksilber – (AR) Silver Proto Money First Millennium BC. Hacksilver. Weight 12.67 grams, Length 21mm.

Hacksilber was used as coins, before the coins were invented, the monetary extensive use of Hacksilber continued for some time during the usage of the coins. Hacksilver is a casting silver or a piece of silver cutted from a larger silver unit / silver ingot / silver square. The value of those pieces of money was measured by weight, and the value of silver was known similarly to what is known today as the value of the dollar currency. Some pieces of Hacksilver correspond to the standards of the Iron Age and can be measured by : Shekel : 11.3 grams, Nezef : 9.4 grams, Pym : 8.1 grams, Beqa: 6.33 grams, Gera : about 0.58 grams. (The weights were taken from David Handin's book). The use of Hacksilver began much earlier than the Iron Age but the standards in different periods were different to those of the Iron Age, although even during the Iron Age itself standards were changed.

The Bible, for example, describes the use of Hacksilver / ingots with a standard of a Shekel:

For example in Genesis 22 when Abraham weighed to Ephron four hundred shekels of silver

The concept of Hacksilver also appears in the Bible (“Beza”).

For example in Genesis 37 when Judah said to his brothers ”What Beza we have from the death of brother".

Or in Exodus 18 where the Judges have to hate the Hacksilver (Beza).