A silver trade coin issued in Tyre and used in Ancient Judea during the lifetime of Jesus. On the obverse is a bust of Melkart (called ‘Baal’ in the Bible). On the reverse the Eagle standing on the prow of a Tyrian galley.
“(Matthew 17:24-27), Jesus plucks a shekel from the mouth of a fish to pay his Temple tax.
To think that this shekel might have been touched by the actual hand of Jesus! It was auctioned by Heritage a few years back as part of a collection of 38 shekels that were issued and used as a primary silver trade coinage back then. The Tyrian shekel was used to pay the Temple Tax in Jerusalem.
Heritage >
“The famous incident where Jesus attacks the “money changers” in the Temple courtyard likely resulted in many Tyrian shekels flying about, as this was the currency into which visitors were changing their own native coins.”
Thank you Heritage Auctions (via acsearch) for image and text
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2309594
“This coin is one from a collection of 38 shekels of Tyre, the main silver coin used in ancient Judaea. The collection was sold by Heritage back Jan. 4-5, 2015, auction at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.”
“Assembled by noted numismatic scholar and author Frank L. Kovacs of Corte Madera, Calif., over a quarter century, the shekels of Tyre will be offered as a single lot of 38 coins. The entire collection is expected to bring more than $150,000.”
