Point is, nobody knows WHICH coin Jesus used so why focus in on THIS one? (a drachm is more likely but who knows?).
The earliest surviving version of this pericope is in
Mark (12:15) and although
writing in Greek, the author specifically calls the coin
denarion (i.e.
denarius). Granted,
denarion may well have been the adaptation of the evangelist who is believed to have been
writing to an
Italian audience who were debating among themselves whether they should pay taxes to
Nero, the
Caesar of
their day. Indeed, the author of Mark uses Latinate names for coins in several instances.
From a purely historical perspective, I think it is likely that during the course of
his ministry Jesus must have used this teaching any number of times (it's just too
good to have been used only once!) , making use of whatever
portrait coin might have been available.
However, from a collecting perspective, if we start with the proposition that the coin was indeed a "
denarius" as the gospel explicitly states, then the
Livia seated
type of
Tiberius is the most likely candidate.
Tiberius was emperor throughout the adult lifetime of Jesus and with a few
rare exceptions, all of
his denarii were of this single
type.
Not an attempt at debate, merely a quick explanation for those who might be wondering just why this particular
type has been taken, at least traditionally, as the "
Tribute Penny".
Dave
Fake Coins and Notorious Fake Sellers
