Lot 1472

Description

Phoenicia, Tyre, (c. 2nd century B.C. - 1st century A.D.), silver shekel or tetrarachm, (14.37 grams), Tyre mint, issued 99-98 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 HK ( = 28 [= 99-8 B.C.], to right monogram, Phoenician letter between legs, around **TUROU IERAS KAI ASULOU*, (S.5918, cf.BMC 113, H.917 [305]). Large flan, attractive light tone and round with sharp legends, extremely fine, scarce.

Ex Noble Numismatics Sale 53 (lot 2279) and previously from Seaby Coin and Medal Bulletin, November 1990, (B241 £250). The shekels and half shekels of Tyre are of special interest as Jews had to pay an annual sum to the Jerusalem Temple of one half shekel and the only acceptable money was the shekel of Tyre. These 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 consisted of these Tyre shekels. (See Hendin pages 288-293).