I am certainly no coin expert, as I'm not able to distinguish real from fake, but this was passed down to me ages ago and I've been looking into the authenticity of it. Only problem is, I have no way of knowing if it's real or not. I'm hoping someone here can help. I hope they're clear enough to distinguish. The picture on the first photo may have some discoloration - this is due to lighting. The actual color is silver, much like the eagle on the back.
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this "coin" is a modern reproduction. It is definitely fake.
The artistic style doesn't look like authentic examples. The fields (places on the coin which have no design) are rough with some very odd pattern-- nothing resembling any ancient coin I've seen. There is a visible casting seam. Authentic coins of this type were individually struck from dies, not cast. The metal doesn't look like silver, although that is very difficult to determine in photos. I didn't even check the legend or devices to see if they are even close to authentic because the with the visible casting seam and other clear indications of cast fake, there wasn't a need to check further.
Thanks, that's a huge help, TIF. I figured the blank parts of the coin (rough spots) were a giveaway, as well as the seam itself. Glad to hear, thanks!
Note: oops, @TIF beat me to this. The fields are the flat areas of the coin surface (ie. The areas not covered by the design.) In the real one you should have nice clean fields, not that rough pattern that covers the fields of your coin. The design (ie. the eagle, image on the obverse, etc. don't look the right style for that type of coin. The quality is bad too. I can see casting lines on the edges of your coin. Overall, your coin was probably intended as a modern tourist souvenir.
Unfortunately, there are a few very popular types that exist in large numbers real and huge numbers fake. All the Bible types are common as fakes. You might search on the term Shekel of Tyre and find other discussions that will show you that others have had this problem. I suspect you will find several dozen assorted fakes each no more like each other than they are to the real ones which also vary a lot due to mints and date differences. Welcome.
The value of every coin is determined by its artistic quality and preservation. With a Shekel of Tyre, the year it was minted can have a HUGE impact on its price.
