Featured What Happened to the Autonomous Tyrian Shekels ?

Phoenicia - Tyre, 126 BC - AD 66 (struck 96/95 BC), Obverse: Laureate head of Melkart wearing a lion skin around his neck (not visible on this coin). Reverse: Eagle standing on prow, palm frond behind eagle, club of Melkart in left field. AR Shekel: 14.16 gm, 29 mm, 1 h. Photo courtesy of CNG.

The handsome autonomous Tyrian shekels were the most widely accepted silver coins circulating throughout the Levant for nearly 200 years because of their consistent weight (14.00-14.25 gm), and high purity. Robert Deutsch did a metallurgical test on 6 of these shekels and their purity averaged 96.16 %. Aramaic, Greek, and Arab speaking people accepted these coins without question. The Tyrian shekel and half shekel were the only coins accepted by the Jews for their annual Temple tax. During the Roman occupation the Tyrian shekel was worth 4 denarii. So why did these coins disappear from circulation?
During the Roman occupation the 2nd most common circulating silver coin throughout the Levant was the tetradrachm minted in Antioch, Syria. Within Syria they had a value of 4 Roman denarii, however, outside of Syria they traded at only 3 denarii. Due to dwindling monetary reserves in Rome, Nero made the 1st serious debasement of the denarius of 10 %, increasing the money supply to cover imperial expenses. Nero was also intent on eliminating the competition between the Tyrian shekel and the Antiochene tetradrachm. An early tetradrachm from Nero's reign is pictured below.


Syria - Antioch, Nero, AD 54 - 68 (struck Ad 56/57), Obverse: Youthful bust of Nero, with oak wreath. Reverse: His mother Agrippina with long braid behind her neck. AR Tetradrachm: 14.32 gm, 27 mm, 12 h. McAlee 253. Photo courtesy of Kunker GmbH & Co.

In AD 59/60 Nero instituted a monetary reform in Antioch, Syria with the intention of driving the Tyrian shekel out of circulation. A new tetradrachm was designed and the silver content was increased from 9.15 gm to 11.63 gm, and the silver purity was improved from 63.13 % to 79.39 %. This new tetradrachm was to have a value of 4 denarii throughout the Levant, despite still having less silver than the Tyrian Shekel.


Syria - Antioch, Nero AD 54 - 68 (struck 62/63). Obverse: Nero with laureate wreath and aegis. Reverse: Eagle on thunderbolt, palm frond in right field. AR tetradrachm: 14.75 gm, 25 mm, 12 h. Ex Michel Prieur collection, #86 (this coin). A.K. Collection

The similarity of the reverse design to the Tyrian shekel wasn't accidental. The Roman eagle stayed on the Antioch tetradrachms until they stopped being coined. The next major design change occurred in the reign of Vespasian. The eagle was now holding a laurel wreath in his beak and standing on the club of Melkart, instead of the thunderbolt. The palm frond still remained on the reverse, but on the left side. The resemblance to the Tyrian shekels is growing.


Syria - Antioch, Vespasian, AD 69 - 79 (struck 69/70). AR tetradrachm: 14.83 gm, 27 mm, 12 h. McAlee 345/3 (this coin). Photo courtesy of Roma Numismatics Ltd.

The last of the Tyrian shekels were coined in AD 66, and many of them along with older Antiochene tetradrachms were melted down and used to make debased coinage for Antioch. The next major design change to the reverse occurred in the reign of Hadrian.


Syria - Antioch, Hadrian, AD 117 - 138 (struck 118). Reverse: Eagle standing on the leg of a sacrificial animal, palm frond in right field. AR Tetradrachm: 13.00 gm, 24 mm, 6 h. McAlee 533. Photo courtesy of Ancient Coin Traders

The palm frond is still visible next to the eagle's right wing, but the club of Melkart has been replaced by the leg of a sacrificial animal. The coin is now taking on an Antiochene character. The animal leg derives from an interesting foundation myth. It is said that Seleucus I, a close friend and general for Alexander the Great, had a sacrifice preformed and an eagle carried off the animal's leg and dropped it on the site of the new city of Antioch. On succeeding issues the palm frond, the club of Melkart, and the laurel wreath in the eagle's beak would intermittently appear and be removed. There were many other small design changes to Antiochene tetradrachms too numerous to mention here. One reverse design that deserves to be mentioned is pictured on the coin below. It was first used by Tigranes II of Armenia, 83 - 69 BC, and later copied by a number of Roman emperors. All coins with this reverse are scarce or rare.


Syria - Antioch, Augustus Caesar, 27 BC - AD 14 (struck 3 BC). Reverse: Tyche of Antioch is seated on a rock, wearing a turreted crown, and holding a palm frond in her right hand. The River Orantes, depicted as a young boy, is swimming beneath her. The design is copied from a famous bronze made around 300 BC by Eutychides of Sycion, for Antioch. AR Tetradrachm: 15.31 gm, 28 mm, 12 h. McAlee 183. Ex A.K. Collection.

Antiochene tetradrachms continued to be minted but they gradually went thru more debasement. The coin pictured below from the reign of Philip I had a silver purity of 27.31 %.


Syria - Antioch, Philip I, AD 244 - 249 (struck 246), Officina 6. Billon tetradrachm: 13.55 gm, 25,5 mm, 6 h. McAlee 901f (this coin). Ex Michel Prieur Collection. A.K. Collection.

The coin pictured below of Philip II, son of Philip I, had a silver purity of 16.58 %.


Syria - Antioch, Philip II, AD 247 - 249 (struck 248/249). Billon Tetradrachm: 13.37 gm, 27 mm, 6 h. McAlee 1054. A.K. Collection.

The mint at Tyre continued to strike debased coinage ending with emperor Macrinus, AD 217 - 218. They would frequently strike presentation issues using motifs from the old autonomous shekels, like the coin pictured below of Caracalla. This coin has a purity of 35 %.


Phoenicia - Tyre, Caracalla, AD 198 - 217 (struck 213/217). AR Tetradrachm: 14.09 gm, 26 mm, 6 h. Obverse: Bust of Caracalla on eagle's back, club of Melkart in right field. Reverse: Bust of Melkart with lion's skin around shoulders. Photo courtesy of Roma Numismatics Ltd. Ex A.K. Collection.

References:
The Coins of Roman Antioch, Richard McAlee, 2007. Published by CNG, Lancaster, PA

The Syro-Phoenician Tetradrachms and Their Fractions, from 57 BC to AD 253, Michel and Karin Prieur, 2000. Published by CNG, Lancaster, PA

Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 BC to AD 700, Kenneth W. Harl, 1997. Published by John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore & London

Jewish Coinage During the First Revolt Against Rome, 66 - 73 CE, Robert Deutsch, 2017, Published by the Archaeological Center, Old Jaffa, Israel

 

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Interesting write up. Here's one of my favorite shekels of Tyre.

 

Informative thread and super coins!!

 

Love it, thanks Al

 

Nemo, Stylistically your shekel is one of the finest I've seen ! Coins of that quality rarely reach the marketplace. The high relief portrait is sensitive & the reverse is stunning . Most of these shekels were struck on undersized flans, luckily yours wasn't. The best shekels I've seen, like your coin, have the obverse slightly skewed off-center to get a complete strike on both sides of the coin.

 

Nice write up! I learned a lot, and some beautiful coins.

Here is my "Shekel":

Alexander I (Balas). 152/1-145 BC. AR Tetradrachm. Tyre mint. Dated SE 167 (146/5 BC).
Obverse: Diademed and draped bust of Alexander Balas right.
Reverse: Eagle standing left on prow of galley, palm-branch over right shoulder; club surmounted by monogram to left, ΙΞΡ (date) and monogram to right.
Reference: SNG Spaer 1545-1546; Newell, Tyre 79; Houghton 749.
Weight: 13.73g (Phoenican standard)

 

That was a good read,@Al Kowsky
I know that when the Romans eventually went over to Syria, they took over the Seleucid mints and minting standards. The mints, like you posted, by that time were churning out debased tetradrachms.
When exactly did the Seleucid mints begin to debase their coins though?


Here is a Tetradrachm from Antioch of Trebonianus Gallus. Probably minted while Rome was in the midst of the Cyprian Plague. I’d be surprised if it was 10% silver tbh.

25MM .
10.70GM
251-253 CE
Antioch Mint

 

Pavlos, That's a lovely portrait of Balas ! Some very skilled celators were working at the Tyre mint.

 

Fascinating, @Al Kowsky ! One of the more educational write-ups currently on the board. I hope it gets featured.

Here's my Antiochene tet. Now I know why there's an eagle and a palm frond!

 

As far as I know late Seleukid tetradrachms were not debased, only lowered in weight. An example is Philip I, one of the last kings, he appears to have melted down the tetradrachms of his predecessors and reissued them with his own types with a lighter weight of around 0.35g. By so doing, Philip’s treasury profited by about half an obol every time an older tetradrachm was recoined.
Besides that, many Syrian and Phoenician cities started to mint civic tetradrachms in the first century BC, these were all non-debassed.

The debasement must have been started during the Roman reign.

 

You may be right @Pavlos.
Here is a good paper that shows the silver content of Antioch Tetradrachms over the years. The Postumus Philip Tetradrachm are at roughly 69% silver. I’d like to see analysis of pre Roman Syrian coinage though. I have a hard time believing the later Seleucid coins are the same purity as ones of Seleucus I and Antiochus III.

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/classics/staff/butcher/levant_article.pdf

 

Wow, @Al Kowsky , very nice and informative write-up. And great examples! Thank you!

I regret that I do not have a Tyrian Shekel. However, I do have a Tet from its aftermath:


Antioch, Syria
Nero Regnal year 8, Caesarian year 110, (AD 61/62)
AR Tetradrachm 25 mm x 14.05 grams
Obverse: NERWNOS KAISAROS SEBASTOU, Laureate bust right, wearing aegis.
Reverse: Eagle standing left on thunderbolt, palm branch before, H/IP behind.
Ref: RPC4182
Ex: @Ancientnoob

 

Nice paper. I am curious to know as well about that. What I do know is that surprisingly enough, an Antiochos VIII tetradrachm almost has the same purity as a Seleukos I or Antiochos III tetradrachm, all around 98% purity.

See the paper: https://www.academia.edu/40047599/E...r_coins_from_Hamadan_Museum_by_PIXE_technique

Unfortunately it doesn't go any further into the late Seleukid reign.

 

Magnus Maximus, You're right on about the fineness of the Trebonianus Gallus Tets, they were a little over 10 % silver . They were no longer billon, but potin. No doubt the Romans began debasing Antiochene coinage with their 1st coinage of the "Pseudo-Philip" tetradrachms, which had a fineness of about 72.75 %, see example below. Augustus Caesar actually improved the silver fineness to 78.4 %, but it was reduced again by Tiberius to 65.75 %.


Syria - Antioch, Aulus Gabinius as Proconsul, 57 - 55 BC. AR Tetradrachm: 15.71 gm, 28 mm, 12 h. McAlee 1, Prieur 1. AK Collection

 

Pavlos, Thanks for the Academia essay . See my comments to Magnus Maximus.

 

Alegandron, I really like the Nero Tets, & bought my 1st genuine example on e-bay of all places about 15 years ago. The coin was a nice strike but it was over-cleaned. My friends thought I was crazy paying $200.00 for it . Several years later I got the coin slabbed & put it in a Heritage auction. It sold for $700.00 !

 

Nice! Unfortunately, I have not paid attention to this geographic area from Ancient times. I captured mine from a friend, and it helped me to touch this time and area within History.

 

Thanks for the very informative write-up, @Al Kowsky!


Phoenicia, Tyre AR Shekel. Dated CY 113 = 14/13 BC. Laureate head of Melkart right / ΤΥPΟΥ ΙΕΡΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΣΥΛΟΥ, eagle standing left on prow, palm frond behind; to left, PIΓ (date) above club; to right, KP above monogram; Beth between legs. 13.29g, 25mm.

 

@Pavlos
Thanks
I have been looking for a paper that described the silver content of early Seleucid tetradrachms!

Thats pretty cool that the silver purity/content was very high and consistent to at least the 120's BCE.