Watch List notes:

PHOENICIA, Tyre, (c.2nd century B.C. - 1st century A.D.), silver half shekel or didrachm, (6.85 g), Tyre mint, issued 87-86 B.C., obv. laureate head of Melqarth beardless to right, rev. eagle to left with closed wings, carrying palm, [standing on prow of ship], club to left, to left LM ( = 40 = 87-86 B.C.], to right **D*, Phoenician letter between legs, around **TUROU IERA[S KAI ASULO]U*, (S.5921, BMC 224, H.1619, HGC 10, 358). Attractive bright silver, slightly off centred on reverse, extremely fine and a rare date.

The shekels and half shekels of Tyre are of special interest to the series of ancient Jewish and Biblical coins as Jews had to pay an annual sum to the Jerusalem Temple of one half shekel [this coin type] and the only acceptable money was the half shekels of Tyre. They were widely available in Jerusalem and were well known for their true weight and good silver. It is also believed that the 'thirty pieces of silver' paid to Judas was made in Tyrian shekels (see Hendin for details).