Greek Silver & Bronze Coins

Lot 4408    Session 16 (9.30am Friday 25 November) Terry Naughton Collec    Greek Silver & Bronze Coins

Estimate $1,200
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $1,400

PHOENICIA, Tyre, (c.2nd century B.C. - 1st century A.D.), silver shekel or tetradrachm, (14.27 g), Tyre mint, issued year 4 = 123-122 B.C., obv. laureate head of Melqarth beardless to right, rev. eagle to left with closed wings, carrying palm, standing on prow of ship, club to left, to left L**D* ( = 4 [= 123-122 B.C.]), monogram MI between legs, around **TUROU IERAS [KAI AS]ULOU*, (S.5918, BMC 50 [p.234], H.917 [305]). Well centred, attractive round with sharp legends, extremely fine, a very rare early date.

Ex Noble Numismatics Auction Sale 83 (lot 3416), previously from CNG (Classical Numismatics Group) Triton Sale V, January 16, 2002 (lot 1513).
The Shekels and half shekels of Tyre are of special interest in this series of Ancient Jewish and Biblical coins as Jews had to pay an annual sum to the Jerusalem Temple one half shekel and the only acceptable money were the shekels of Tyre. They were widely available in Jerusalem and well known for their true weight and good silver. It is also believed that the "thirty pieces of silver" paid to Judas were these Tyre shekels. (See Hendin pages 288-293).