Picked up this little beauty today at Torex. I don't even mind the flan flaw in front of Melkart. Has a nice provenance, which I could probably take back with a bit of research. http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-153517 Tyre half shekel Laureate bust of Melkart right ΤΥΡΟΥ ΙΕΡΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΣΥΛΟΥ (of Tyre the holy and inviolable) Eagle standing left on prow; palm over shoulder, club to the left, flanked by date LM (40) and monogram ΔP to the right. Tyre; Year 40= 87/86 BC 6.98g Ex-HJB Buy or Bid Sale 206, lot 103 (Nov 15, 2018); Ex-Calgary Coin (Feb 24, 2019) Removed from NGC holder prior to HJB. NGC graded Strike 4/5, Surface 3/5; NGC 4278263-010 According to the Mosaic law, every year, Jewish males over the age of 20, paid a half shekel tax in silver to the Temple in Jerusalem. Mention of this tax can be found in the Bible at Exodus 30:11, 16. Of course, at the time of writing there were no coins in circulation and this tax was paid by weight in silver ingots. By the 1st century BC the tax was paid in either the Tyrian shekel (enough for two people) or half-shekel (for himself). The Jewish Talmud required the tax to be paid with a coin of high purity silver. The only ones that conformed to this high standard were the silver Tyrian shekels. Even though these coins depict images of Melkart (Phoenician Hercules) and an eagle, they were still accepted at the temple because of the silver content. Let's see your shekels and half shekels
Nice example Jay, a great coin with real history attached! I have a few 1/2 shekels, the first is one of my absolute favorite coins in my collection.
Sorry not to have Shekels or Half Shekels of TYRE, but I do have a 1/16 Shekel. However I have several Shekels from their daughter city of Carthage: TYRE Tyre AR 1/16th shekel 10mm 0.47g 425-394 BCE hippocamp l over waves - owl with crook flail Sear Greek 5916.BMC Tyre 43 SNG Danish 302 Ex: @Valentinian Half of a half of a half of a HALF of a Shekel!
Here's a full shekel: 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 above club; to right, KP above monogram; Beth between legs.
Real nice Nemo! That's a cool small coin Great one! My full shekel has a very worn obverse die but it is a KP mint Laureate bust of Melkart right, aegis draped about neck ΤΥΡΟΥ ΙΕΡΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΣΥΛΟΥ (of Tyre the holy and inviolable) Eagle standing left on prow; club before, flanked by date PM and KP to right, above monogram. KP Jerusalem mint PM Year 140 (14/15 AD). Ex Calgary Coins, Ex. Hendin 919, RPC 4655. 13.29g
Thanks Randy. I thought we'd see more. These are such interesting coins. The KP monogram with crude style is thought to be Jerusalem mint.
