Very Rare Silver Half Shekel Of Tyre Ancient Judea Authentic Old Coin Jesus Time
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:368693 | Certification: Certified Authenticity Included |
| Ruler: Mithridates VI | Date: 126 BC-5AD |
| Denomination: Half Shekel | Composition: Silver |
Very Rare Silver Half Shekel Of Tyre Ancient Judea Authentic Old Coin Jesus Time
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Provided with certificate of authenticity.
Using Edward Cohen's rarity scale, this is a rare (R1) shekel, and probably only 500 to 2, 000 still exist!!!
Item description: After 2, 000 years, this quite rare Half Shekel of Tyre glistens and dances in the light, much more than the usual surviving Half Shekel of the time. The lustrous coin has the typical Half Shekel c...oncavity curve, which disappeared in the later years of Half Shekel production. It's just a great example of what Half Shekels used to look like when they were in use, two millennia ago. You will note that the obverse of this Half Shekel is not surprisingly a little out of round, but quite well centered, for a Half Shekel of it's age. The reverse is less typical of coins of the time. It is unusually well centered, without the typically seen eccentric placement on the flan. As you can see from the pictures, every detail of writing and style are easily discernible on the coins. Collectors of coins of the time should note that Half Shekels are much more rare than full Shekels of Tyre. Using Edward Cohen's rarity scale, this is a rare (R1) shekel, and probably only 500 to 2, 000 still exist. This historic coin was struck during the time of Mithridates VI, King of Pontus. Mithridates was the king that invaded Cappadocia, starting the first Mithridatic War with his enemy being the Roman Republic. Mithridates had grown very concerned about Roman power in Anatolia. To stop the annexation of their land and people, the King of Pontus (Mithridates “the Great”), took advantage of the extreme aversion of Romans and discontent with their taxes.These locals, had been pushed too far by the Romans and their continual demand for more and more taxes. This resulted in a seemingly spontaneous, but actually, scrupulously planned rebellion against the Romans. They knew that if they didn’t succeed, they would face hellish reprisal by the Romans. By good planning and extraordinary bravery, the rebellion was successful, but extremely brutal. Huge numbers of Romans were executed. Considering the population of the time, the numbers compare well to those of the great holocaust of our time. Every Roman and Italian citizen in Asia Minor was massacred. This extermination was planned and executed in a way that no doubt would have gained Hitler’s admiration, had he lived in that time. The carnage was so well planned, that it was carried out on the same day in many towns over a wide spread geographic area, including Asia Minor, Ephesus, Pergamon, Adramyttion, Caunus, Tralles, Nysa, and the island of Chios. This, without the ability to communicate between widely scattered forces. Estimates of the number of men, women, and children killed range from 80, 000 to 150, 000.
Mithridates celebrated by having Roman slaves kill their Roman masters, unconditional freedom. Even if they didn’t assist in the slaughter, those slaves and Roman servants who spoke languages other than Latin were spared. Mithridates intended genocide, not unbridled murder.The event was extremely costly to the Romans, not only in people, but in funds to retaliate. These funds no doubt contained a number of diverted Shekels and Half Shekels We know that because today, shekels are found, buried in this area, now a portion of Turkey.
Rome never wavered where it’s military and provincial authority was challenged. The Roman Senate quickly committed a huge invasion force aimed at breaking the power of the Kingdom of Pontus. As was typical of the time, Rome’s power succeeded in annexing Pontus’ territory after a very long series of conflicts known as the Mithridatic Wars.
While Rome was occupied with this significantly difficult war, the little common Half Shekel continued to serve the purpose that had occupied it for over 50 years, that is, serving as the legal tender for paying annual taxes to the Priests of the Jerusalem Temple. Far from the war, it became the most important coin in Israel. Eighty years later, Jerusalem would be facing the same plight as Pontus and the little half shekel would be buried and hidden in hoards to protect it from the Romans. Many of these hoards were forgotten, or their owners killed. Then some 2, 000 years later, a few very lucky, or curious 19th and 20th century citizens, living on top of the rubble of those long distant wars, would re-discover these treasures, finding sufficient numbers of coins as to make the Half Shekel potentially available to any museum or collector of ancient coins.
However, some production years of Half Shekels only rarely appeared in these finds, and some, not at all. This year number 37 Half Shekel was one of these rarely found in the discovered hoards. The total recovered has been no more than 500 and probably much fewer, possibly as few as 25 coins from this rare year of 90/89 BC. Why did coins from Tyre exist in Roman held Jerusalem? They were used by Jewish males to pay their voluntary annual Temple tax. Shekels/Half Shekels of Tyre were the only coins that were accepted by the High Priests, thus resulting in large numbers of money changers, gathering around and on the Temple, exchanging local currencies for these Shekels. The coins are 97% pure silver, the greatest purity of silver in coins locally available during the 193 year span of manufacture. This coin, or one like it is not the famous coin that Peter found in the mouth of the fish, allowing him to pay his tax, as well as that of Jesus. That coin was a full Shekel. This is a Half Shekel, which is the exact amount of silver required to pay the tax for one Jewish male. Unlike the full Shekel of Tyre it probably was not one of the coins that Judas was given in his bag of 30 pieces of silver. However, the Half Shekel of Tyre has huge significance as the coin that every male Jew handled at least once a year for a span of over a century and a half. Indeed, there are few more historic and more fascinating coins still available, after 2, 000 years, especially coins so well validated by the history written at the time. Half Shekels cause us to pause and think deeply about the history we know through books and religious teachings. We frequently find ourselves speculating as to whether Jesus, or one of his disciples may have actually handled this very coin in the process of paying annual taxes. It was available and in use, in their Temple, and communities for the entire duration of their time on earth. Handling time: Up to 3 business days.
Free Worldwide Shipping
Provided with certificate of authenticity.
Using Edward Cohen's rarity scale, this is a rare (R1) shekel, and probably only 500 to 2, 000 still exist!!!
Item description: After 2, 000 years, this quite rare Half Shekel of Tyre glistens and dances in the light, much more than the usual surviving Half Shekel of the time. The lustrous coin has the typical Half Shekel c...oncavity curve, which disappeared in the later years of Half Shekel production. It's just a great example of what Half Shekels used to look like when they were in use, two millennia ago. You will note that the obverse of this Half Shekel is not surprisingly a little out of round, but quite well centered, for a Half Shekel of it's age. The reverse is less typical of coins of the time. It is unusually well centered, without the typically seen eccentric placement on the flan. As you can see from the pictures, every detail of writing and style are easily discernible on the coins. Collectors of coins of the time should note that Half Shekels are much more rare than full Shekels of Tyre. Using Edward Cohen's rarity scale, this is a rare (R1) shekel, and probably only 500 to 2, 000 still exist. This historic coin was struck during the time of Mithridates VI, King of Pontus. Mithridates was the king that invaded Cappadocia, starting the first Mithridatic War with his enemy being the Roman Republic. Mithridates had grown very concerned about Roman power in Anatolia. To stop the annexation of their land and people, the King of Pontus (Mithridates “the Great”), took advantage of the extreme aversion of Romans and discontent with their taxes.These locals, had been pushed too far by the Romans and their continual demand for more and more taxes. This resulted in a seemingly spontaneous, but actually, scrupulously planned rebellion against the Romans. They knew that if they didn’t succeed, they would face hellish reprisal by the Romans. By good planning and extraordinary bravery, the rebellion was successful, but extremely brutal. Huge numbers of Romans were executed. Considering the population of the time, the numbers compare well to those of the great holocaust of our time. Every Roman and Italian citizen in Asia Minor was massacred. This extermination was planned and executed in a way that no doubt would have gained Hitler’s admiration, had he lived in that time. The carnage was so well planned, that it was carried out on the same day in many towns over a wide spread geographic area, including Asia Minor, Ephesus, Pergamon, Adramyttion, Caunus, Tralles, Nysa, and the island of Chios. This, without the ability to communicate between widely scattered forces. Estimates of the number of men, women, and children killed range from 80, 000 to 150, 000.
Mithridates celebrated by having Roman slaves kill their Roman masters, unconditional freedom. Even if they didn’t assist in the slaughter, those slaves and Roman servants who spoke languages other than Latin were spared. Mithridates intended genocide, not unbridled murder.The event was extremely costly to the Romans, not only in people, but in funds to retaliate. These funds no doubt contained a number of diverted Shekels and Half Shekels We know that because today, shekels are found, buried in this area, now a portion of Turkey.
Rome never wavered where it’s military and provincial authority was challenged. The Roman Senate quickly committed a huge invasion force aimed at breaking the power of the Kingdom of Pontus. As was typical of the time, Rome’s power succeeded in annexing Pontus’ territory after a very long series of conflicts known as the Mithridatic Wars.
While Rome was occupied with this significantly difficult war, the little common Half Shekel continued to serve the purpose that had occupied it for over 50 years, that is, serving as the legal tender for paying annual taxes to the Priests of the Jerusalem Temple. Far from the war, it became the most important coin in Israel. Eighty years later, Jerusalem would be facing the same plight as Pontus and the little half shekel would be buried and hidden in hoards to protect it from the Romans. Many of these hoards were forgotten, or their owners killed. Then some 2, 000 years later, a few very lucky, or curious 19th and 20th century citizens, living on top of the rubble of those long distant wars, would re-discover these treasures, finding sufficient numbers of coins as to make the Half Shekel potentially available to any museum or collector of ancient coins.
However, some production years of Half Shekels only rarely appeared in these finds, and some, not at all. This year number 37 Half Shekel was one of these rarely found in the discovered hoards. The total recovered has been no more than 500 and probably much fewer, possibly as few as 25 coins from this rare year of 90/89 BC. Why did coins from Tyre exist in Roman held Jerusalem? They were used by Jewish males to pay their voluntary annual Temple tax. Shekels/Half Shekels of Tyre were the only coins that were accepted by the High Priests, thus resulting in large numbers of money changers, gathering around and on the Temple, exchanging local currencies for these Shekels. The coins are 97% pure silver, the greatest purity of silver in coins locally available during the 193 year span of manufacture. This coin, or one like it is not the famous coin that Peter found in the mouth of the fish, allowing him to pay his tax, as well as that of Jesus. That coin was a full Shekel. This is a Half Shekel, which is the exact amount of silver required to pay the tax for one Jewish male. Unlike the full Shekel of Tyre it probably was not one of the coins that Judas was given in his bag of 30 pieces of silver. However, the Half Shekel of Tyre has huge significance as the coin that every male Jew handled at least once a year for a span of over a century and a half. Indeed, there are few more historic and more fascinating coins still available, after 2, 000 years, especially coins so well validated by the history written at the time. Half Shekels cause us to pause and think deeply about the history we know through books and religious teachings. We frequently find ourselves speculating as to whether Jesus, or one of his disciples may have actually handled this very coin in the process of paying annual taxes. It was available and in use, in their Temple, and communities for the entire duration of their time on earth. Handling time: Up to 3 business days.
