Phoenicia, Tyre. 1/2 Punic Shekel; Phoenicia, Tyre; Year 160 = 34/5 AD, Shekel, 14.15g. RPC-4664 (2 spec.), Prieur-1424 (2 spec.). Obv: Laureate bust of Heracles (Melqart) r., with lionskin knotted around neck. Rx: T[YP - OY IEPAS - KA]I ASY?OY Eagle with closed wings standing l. on prow, with palm branch behind shoulder; Phoenician letter between the eagle's legs; date P? and club in l. field; and KP in r. field. Formerly in NGC holder; with their ticket, grading the coin "XF, Strike 4, Surface 3". Y. Meshorer thought that all Tyrian shekels and half shekels from Year 109 on, when the letters KP were added to their reverse design, were struck at Jerusalem rather than Tyre, but the authors of RPC I, pp. 655-6, do not accept this hypothesis.. EF
Buy price: $2000