Biblical & Jewish Coins

Lot 4716    Session 15 (7.30pm Friday)    Biblical & Jewish Coins

Estimate $1,800
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $1,350

PHOENICIA, Tyre, (c.2nd century B.C. - 1st century A.D.), silver shekel or tetradrachm, (14.128 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 [= 99-98 B.C.], to right CA, Phoenician letter between legs, around **TUROU IER[AS] KAI ASULOU*, (S.5918, cf.BMC 115, H.917 [305]). Toned, slightly short of flan with partial legends, slightly well centred, nearly extremely fine a 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 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).