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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Greek Coins| ▸ |Geographic - All Periods| ▸ |Phoenicia||View Options:   | | | Phoenicia, from the Greek Phoiníkē meaning either "land of palm trees" or "purple country," was located on the Mediterranean coastline of what is now Lebanon, Israel, Gaza, Syria, and southwest Turkey, though some colonies later reached the Western Mediterranean and even the Atlantic Ocean, the most famous being Carthage. The enterprising, sea-based Phoenicians spread across the Mediterranean from 1500 to 300 B.C. Their civilization was organized in city-states, similar to those of ancient Greece, perhaps the most notable of which were Tyre, Sidon, Arados, Berytus and Carthage. Each city-state was politically independent and it is uncertain to what extent the Phoenicians viewed themselves as a single nationality. In terms of archaeology, language, lifestyle, and religion there was little to set the Phoenicians apart as markedly different from other Semitic Canaanites. The Phoenician alphabet is an ancestor of all modern alphabets. By their maritime trade, the Phoenicians spread the use of the alphabet to Anatolia, North Africa, and Europe, where it was adopted by the Greeks, who in turn transmitted it to the Romans. |
A KAP Temple Tax Coin - Important Transitional Year!
Some Tyrian shekels and all half shekels struck year 108 (19/18 B.C.) bear the Greek letters KAP. Years 109 - 111 all the coins bear the KAP ligature. In the following years until production ceased all the coins bear the Greek letters KP. Meshorer argued that the KAP and KP coins were actually struck at Jerusalem, initially by Herod. He based his opinion on a sudden stylistic and fabric degradation, find locations indicating the KP coins circulated mainly in Israel, and an end to production coinciding with the First Jewish Rebellion and the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in A.D. 70. Under Augustus the cities in the east such as Kyzikos, Tyre and Sidon lost much of their autonomy. Perhaps Tyre lost the freedom to strike silver coins. Under Roman control the other traditional silver coinages of the area did disappear, with the exception of a debased Antioch coinage. Given Herod's influence with Augustus, it is conceivable that he successfully arranged minting Tyre type shekels in Jerusalem in order to fill the need for the accepted temple coinage. The letters KAP and KP likely abbreviate the Greek for Caesar perhaps indicating the approval of Rome.JD79298. Silver shekel, BMC Phoenicia p. 252, 233; Cohen DCA 921 (R3); RPC I 4684; Hendin 6651; HGC 10 358, Baramki AUB -, F, toned, rough, die wear, weight 5.808 g, maximum diameter 20.4 mm, die axis 45o, Tyre or Jerusalem mint, 19 - 18 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Melqart right, lion's skin knotted around neck; reverse TYPOYIEPAΣ KAIAΣYΛOY (of Tyre the holy and inviolable), eagle standing left, head left, wings closed, right talon on war galley ram, palm frond transverse right behind, date PH (year 108) over club and palm frond left, KAP (Kaisar?) monogram right, Phoenician letter beth (control) between legs; rare date; SOLD
Macedonian Kingdom, Alexander the Great, 336 - 323 B.C., Lifetime Issue
Born a leader, his genius and charisma led the Macedonian army to create an empire covering most of the then-known world, from Greece to India. His reign begins the Hellenistic Age, a time when civilization flourished. He was regarded as a god and his fame grew even greater after his premature death at thirty-two.GS94444. Silver tetradrachm, Price 3485, Newell Dated 24 (obv. die XII), Cohen DCA 874 (R3), Demanhur 3739, Prokesch-Osten I 34, Newell Reattribution 145, Newell Sidon 24, EF, high relief, grainy porous surfaces, obverse a little off center, reverse double struck, small edge splits, weight 16.544 g, maximum diameter 27.1 mm, die axis 0o, Sidon (Saida, Lebanon) mint, struck under Menes, 326 - 325 B.C.; obverse head of Herakles right, wearing Nemean Lion skin, scalp over head, forepaws tied at neck; reverse Zeus Aëtophoros seated left on throne without back, right leg forward (archaic lifetime style), eagle in extended right hand, long scepter vertical behind in left hand, AΛEΞANΔPOY downward behind, Phoenician letter het (year 8) in left field, ΣI under throne; only one specimen recorded on Coin Archives; very rare date; SOLD
Tyre, Phoenicia, 94 - 93 B.C., Judas' 30 Pieces of Silver
Judas' 30 Pieces of Silver
"Then one of the 12, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, 'What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?' And they covenanted with him for 30 pieces of silver." Matthew 26:14-15. Shekels of Tyre were the only currency accepted at the Jerusalem Temple and are the most likely coinage with which Judas was paid for the betrayal of Christ.
The Temple Tax Coin
"..go to the sea and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou has opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them [the temple tax collectors] for me and thee." Since the tax was one half shekel per man the coin would have to be a shekel to pay the tax for both Jesus and Peter. Matthew 17:24-27SH21682. Silver shekel, BMC Phoenicia p. 241, 120 ff.; Baramki AUB p. 227, 47; HGC 10 357, aEF, tight flan, weight 14.263 g, maximum diameter 29.3 mm, die axis 0o, Phoenicia, Tyre (Lebanon) mint, 95 - 94 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Melqart right, lion's skin knotted around neck; reverse TYPOY IEPAΣ KAI AΣYΛOY (of Tyre the holy and inviolable), eagle standing left, head left, wings closed, right talon on war galley ram, palm frond transverse right behind, date BΛ (year 32) over club left, HAP monogram (control) right, Aramaic beth (control) between legs; SOLD
Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochus VII Euergetes Sidetes, 138 - 129 B.C.
After his brother Demetrius was captured by the Parthians, Antiochus VII was made king. He married Demetrius' wife Cleopatra Thea. He defeated the usurper Tryphon at Dora and laid siege to Jerusalem in 134. According to Josephus, the Hasmonean king John Hyrcanus opened King David's sepulcher and removed three thousand talents, which he then paid Antiochus to spare the city. Sidetes then attacked the Parthians, supported by a body of Jews under Hyrcanus, and briefly took back Mesopotamia, Babylonia and Media before being ambushed and killed by Phraates II. His brother Demetrius II had by then been released, but the Seleucid realm was now restricted to Syria. Antiochus VII was the last Seleucid king of any stature.SH98738. Silver tetradrachm, Houghton CSE 759 (this coin); Houghton-Lorber II 2109(5)a; SNG Spaer 2021; Newell Tyre 121; BMC Seleucid p. 70, 7; HGC 9 1074; Cohen DCA 198, gVF, excellent portrait, scratches, marks, obv. off center, weight 14.042 g, maximum diameter 29.5 mm, die axis 0o, Phoenicia, Tyre (Lebanon) mint, 136 - 135 B.C.; obverse Antiochos VII diademed head right; reverse ANTIOXOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, eagle standing left on prow, palm branch behind, A/PE monogram above
(Tyre monogram) over club left, AvΣ monogram over ZOP (year 177, Z appears as I) right, 
(control monogram) between legs; from the CEB Collection, ex Numismatic Fine Arts (12 Oct 1988); Houghton CSE plate coin (1983); SOLDThe Temple Tax Coin, Tyre KP Type Half Shekel, Jerusalem or Tyre Mint, 49 - 50 A.D.
SH13696. Silver shekel, BMC Phoenicia p. 249, 210; RPC I 4674; Prieur 1435 (2 spec.); Cohen DCA 920-175 (C), gVF, weight 13.266 g, maximum diameter 24.8 mm, die axis 0o, 49 - 50 A.D.; obverse laureate head of Melqart right, lion's skin knotted around neck; reverse TYPOY IEPAΣ KAI AΣYΛOY (of Tyre the holy and inviolable), eagle standing left, head left, wings closed, right talon on war galley ram, palm frond transverse right behind, POΕ (year 175) and club left, KP / EP right, Aramaic letter between legs; SOLD
Shekel of Tyre, KP Type, 35 - 36 A.D., Temple Tax for Two
Full Shekel - Tax for Two. At the Great Temple in Jerusalem the annual tax levied was 1/2 shekel per male. The 1/2 shekel and shekel were the only coins accepted by the temple. Some experts believe that after the coinage of Tyre was debased under Roman control, Herod the Great began to strike "Tyre" shekels in Jerusalem. These coins were of cruder fabric and style, but maintained the silver purity required to pay the temple tax. The "Jerusalem" shekels have the letters KP or KAP to the right of the eagle and dates range from PH (18/17 B.C.) to P
E (69/70 A.D.). The Greek letters KP or KAP are probably an abbreviation for KAICAP, Greek for Caesar.JD98849. Silver shekel, RPC I 4665 (8 spec.); BMC Phoenicia p. 249, 205; Rouvier 2108; Cohen DCA 920-161; Prieur 1425 (6 spec.); Baramki AUB -, F, uneven toning, tight flan, weight 13.781 g, maximum diameter 23.0 mm, die axis 30o, Tyre or Jerusalem mint, 35 - 36 A.D.; obverse laureate head of Melqart right, lion's skin knotted around neck; reverse TYPOY IEPAΣ KAI AΣYΛOY (of Tyre the holy and inviolable), eagle left, right foot on war galley ram, palm frond under right wing, date PΞA (year 161) over club left, KP (KAIΣAP? = caesar) over XE monogram (control) right, Phoenician letter beth (control) between legs; from an Israeli collection; SOLDArados, Phoenicia, 63 - 62 B.C.
"The dated coins of this series span almost a century, from 137 to 45 B.C." - Greek Coins and Their Values by David Sear. Dates are written in Greek letters in the left field. Below the date is usually a Phoenician letter and below that usually two Greek letters. These letters may indicate magistrates.SH19459. Silver tetradrachm, Duyrat 4087 (4 spec.); BMC Phoenicia, p 34, 279; Baramki AUB 137; Cohen DCA 772, aEF, attractive, weight 15.336 g, maximum diameter 26.4 mm, die axis 0o, Arados (Arwad, Syria) mint, 63 - 62 B.C.; obverse turreted, veiled, and draped bust of Tyche right; reverse Nike standing left, apluster in right hand, palm frond in left hand, ZϘP (year 197) over Aramaic beth over EΣ in left field, APAΔIΩN downward on right, all in laurel wreath; ex CNG auction (Mar 97), lot 691; rare; SOLD
Jerusalem or Tyre, 4 - 5 A.D., Judas' 30 Pieces of Silver
Judas' 30 Pieces of Silver
"Then one of the 12, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, 'What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?' And they covenanted with him for 30 pieces of silver." Matthew 26:14-15. Shekels of Tyre were the only currency accepted at the Jerusalem Temple and are the most likely coinage with which Judas was paid for the betrayal of Jesus.
The Temple Tax Coin
"..go to the sea and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou has opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them [the temple tax collectors] for me and thee." Since the tax was one half shekel per man the coin would have to be a shekel to pay the tax for both Jesus and Peter. Matthew 17:24-27SH10967. Silver shekel, Prieur 1408; RPC I 4652; Hendin 919; BMC Phoenicia p. 248, 197; Cohen DCA 920-130 (C), EF, attractive style, weight 14.30 g, maximum diameter 24.91 mm, die axis 0o, 4 - 5 A.D.; obverse laureate head of Melqart right, lion's skin knotted around neck; reverse TYPOY IEPAΣ KAI AΣYΛOY (of Tyre the holy and inviolable), eagle standing left, head left, wings closed, right talon on war galley ram, palm frond transverse right behind, date PΛ (year 130) over club on l, KP over EPH monogram on right, Phoenician letter bet between legs; previously graded and encapsulated by ICG as EF45, but now removed from the capsule (ICG slip with the grade will be included with the coin); SOLD
Tyre, Phoenicia, 94 - 93 B.C., Judas' 30 Pieces of Silver
Judas' 30 Pieces of Silver
"Then one of the 12, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, 'What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?' And they covenanted with him for 30 pieces of silver." Matthew 26:14-15. Shekels of Tyre were the only currency accepted at the Jerusalem Temple and are the most likely coinage with which Judas was paid for the betrayal of Christ.
The Temple Tax Coin
"..go to the sea and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou has opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them [the temple tax collectors] for me and thee." Since the tax was one half shekel per man the coin would have to be a shekel to pay the tax for both Jesus and Peter. Matthew 17:24-27SH16829. Silver shekel, BMC Phoenicia p. 241, 124; HGC 10 357; Baramki AUB -, VF, nicely centered, attractive coin, two small nicks on cheek, weight 14.373 g, maximum diameter 30.0 mm, die axis 0o, Phoenicia, Tyre (Lebanon) mint, 94 - 93 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Melqart right, lion's skin knotted around neck; reverse TYPOY IEPAΣ KAI AΣYΛOY (of Tyre the holy and inviolable), eagle standing left, head left, wings closed, right talon on war galley ram, palm frond transverse right behind, date ΓΛ (year 33) over club left, HAP monogram (control) right, Aramaic beth (control) between legs; SOLD
Tyre, Phoenicia, 90 - 89 B.C., The Temple Tax Coin
Half Shekel - the currency of the Jerusalem Temple
At the Great Temple in Jerusalem the annual tax levied on Jews was 1/2 shekel per male. The 1/2 shekel and shekel were not always used in everyday commerce, but were the only coins accepted by the temple. Many taxpayers required a currency exchange, so money changers set up in the Temple court. Jesus found this business and their shouting (advertising rates) offensive, so he threw over their tables.SH20261. Silver half shekel, SGCV II 5921 var. (date and symbols); HGC 10 358, BMC Phoenicia -; Baramki AUB -, gVF, weight 7.091 g, maximum diameter 21.8 mm, die axis 45o, Phoenicia, Tyre (Lebanon) mint, 90 - 89 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Melqart right, lion's skin knotted around neck; reverse TYPOY IEPAΣ KAI AΣYΛOY (of Tyre the holy and inviolable), eagle standing left, head left, wings closed, right talon on war galley ram, palm frond transverse right behind, date ZΛ (year 37) over club & palm left, monogram right, reversed Aramaic beth between legs; attractive style; SOLD
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