Greek Silver & Bronze

Lot 5058    Session 16 (9.30am Friday)    Greek Silver & Bronze

Estimate $800
Bid at live.noble.com.au

PHOENICIA, Tyre, (c.2nd century B.C. - 1st century A.D.), silver shekel or tetrarachm, (13.710 grams), Tyre mint, issued 97-96 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**L* ( = 30 = 97-96 B.C.], to right HAP monogram, Phoenician letter between legs, around **TUROU IERAS [KAI A]SULOU*, (S.5918, BMC 117, H.917 [305]). Large flan with minor porosity, otherwise good very fine/very fine and 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).