Lot 1848

Description

Phoenicia, Tyre, (c.2nd century B.C. - 1st century A.D.), silver half shekel or didrachm, (6.785 grams), Tyre mint, issued 80-79 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 ZM ( = 47 [= 80-79 B.C.], to right **FL* monogram, Phoenician letter between legs, around **TUROU IERAS KAI ASULOU*, (S.5921, cf.BMC 226 [different monogram], H.918 [$700]). Large flan, attractive round with sharp legends, bright nearly extremely fine, very rare date.

The Shekels and half shekels of Tyre are of special interest to this series of Ancient Jewish and Biblical coins as Jews had to pay an annual sum to the Jerusalem Temple one half shekel [this coin] and the only acceptable money were the shekels and half shekels of Tyre. They were widely available in Jerusalem and well known for their true weight and good silver. See Hendin pages 420-428.