Session 11 (9.30am Friday)

Lot 2004    Session 6 (9.30am Thursday)    Session 11 (9.30am Friday)

Estimate $2,200
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $2,500

PHOENICIA, Tyre, (c.2nd century B.C. - 1st century A.D.), silver shekel or tetrarachm, (14.42 grams), Tyre mint, issued 90-89 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 *ZL* ( = 37 [= 90-89 B.C.], to right **DOIU* monogram, Phoenician letter between legs, around **TUROU IERAS [KAI AS]ULOU*, (S.5918, BMC 128, H.917 [305]). Large flan, attractive round with sharp legends, good extremely fine, rare date.

Ex Dr. James Jacobs Collection,, Superior Stamp & Coin Auction, August 13, 1995, (lot 1080). 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).