The earliest shekels were not money, but were a unit of weight, used as other units of weight such as grams and troy ounces for trading before the advent of coins. Early coins were money stamped with an official seal to certify their weight. Coins were invented by the early Anatolian traders who stamped their own marks so that they would not have to weigh it again each time it was used. Silver ingots, some with markings on them were issued. Later the stamping was taken over by official authorities who designed the coins. (Detroit Institute of Arts, 1964) Herodotus states that the first coinage was issued by Croesus, King of Lydia, spreading to the golden Daric (worth 20 sigloi or shekel), issued by the Persian Empire and the Silver Athenian obol and drachma.

The plural can be shekels, sheqels or sheqalim (Hebrew: שקלים). In some regions of the United States, the term is used informally for "money," particularly in situations where value is an important consideration.

First Jewish-Roman War "Great Revolt"
Bronze Prutah 18mm (3.19 grams)
Year III of the Jewish War Jerusalem mint: 69-70 A.D.