Lot 3416

Description

Phoenicia, Tyre, (c.2nd century B.C. - 1st century A.D.), silver shekel or tetradrachm, (14.268 grams), 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.

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).