Lot 4318

Description

Phoenicia, Tyre, (c. 2nd century B.C. - 1st century A.D.), silver shekel or tetradrachm, (13.39 g), Tyre mint, issued year 93 = 34/33 B.C., obv. laureate head of Melqarth beardless to right, dotted border, rev. eagle to left with closed wings, carrying a palm, standing on prow of ship, 9**G*, BN in right field, around **TUROU IER[AS KAI ASU]LOU*, (S.5918, Cohen [p.504] [R3 for this date], BMC -, H.1618 [817], HGC 10, 357). Dark patination, off centred both sides, flan crack, surface roughness, otherwise fine and extremely rare date.

Ex Glendining's London, July 7, 1971 (lot 318).
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).