PERSIA, ACHAEMENID KINGS, ARTAXERXES II - ARTAXERXES III AR SIGLOS, 375 - 340 B.C.E.
Carradice type IVc, Very Fine, hoard toning, banker's marks on reverse, 15.5mm, 5.41 grams
Obverse: Persian King running with drawn bow and dagger
Reverse: Incuse punch
A handsome coin with a very nicely defined king!
Biblical Coin which circulated around the time of King Ahaseurus and Queen Esther. This denomination is 1/3 of a Persian Shekel. This amount is likely what Nehemia was refering to when he requested a 1/3 shekel Temple donation, i.e. 1/3 of a Persian shekel was exactly the same weight as 1/2 of a Judaean shekel, the half shekel Temple tax (Machazit HaShekel) at the time.
