AR HALF SHEKEL OF TYRE, "TEMPLE TAX"
Obverse: Laureate head of Melqart, wearing knotted lionskin around neck
Reverse: Eagle standing left with right foot on prow of ship, palm branch over right shoulder, (P)ΞΔ date (yr. 164 - 38/39 C.E.) over club in field to left, surrounded by inscription T[YPOY IEPAΣ KAI AΣYΛOY] (OF TYRE THE HOLY AND INVIOLABLE), K[P] in right field above B monogram
SCARCE date and a pleasant affordable example!
The Silver of Tyre were the purest in the world at 97% - 99% silver and were thus the only coins accepted for the payment of the Temple Tax in Jerusalem. Meshorer postulated that these later half shekel coins were minted in Jerusalem. However other numismatists disagree. A third possibility is that they were not struck in Tyre but were struck at an alternate mint in Israel, closer to Tyre, such as Caesarea.
