Lot 3040

Description

Phoenicia, Tyre, (c. 2nd century B.C. - 1st century A.D.), silver shekel or tetradrachm, (13.35 g), Tyre Mint, issued year 144 = 18-19 A.D., obv. laureate head of Melqarth beardless to right, rev. eagle to left with closed wings, carrying a palm, standing on prow of ship, club to left, above PM**D*, complex monogram in right field, Phoenician letter between legs, around **TUR[OU IERAS] KAI ASU]LOU*, (S.5918, Cohen [p.509 notes date as RI], BMC 199, H.1618 [817]). Small compact flan with attractive light patination, very fine and rare.

The Shekels and half shekels of Tyre are of special interest to this series of Ancient Jewish and Biblical coins. The Jews had to pay an annual sum to the Jerusalem Temple of one half shekel. 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).