Half Shekel, Tyre LA (Year 1)

6.43 g Tyre Mint 126/125 BCE

O: Head of Herakles (Melqart)
R: Eagle standing left; ΤΥΡΟΥ ΙΕΡΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΣΥΛΟΥ "Of Tyre the Holy and City of Refuge." around; Date LA to left; Monogram FP to right.
- DCA Tyre Release 2 Part 2 #720, this coin

BMC Phoenicia page 250 #213 lists one Year 1 half shekel with M monogram. DCA lists this date as R3, the highest rarity rating.
Unique with with FP monogram. Glossy, dark chocolate find patina.

Demetrius II, who twice ruled the Seleucid Kingdom, was the last Greek king to strike silver coins at Tyre (though Seleucid rulers issued silver coins as late as 106 or 105 B.C. at two of Tyre’s close neighbors, Sidon to the north and Ake-Ptolemais to the south). Interestingly, the second reign of Demetrius II, from 129 to 125 B.C., ended with his execution at Tyre after March 125 — the year by which Tyre certainly had introduced its famous shekels.

Before his execution, Demetrius had issued large quantities of tetradrachms and didrachms at Tyre. At about 14 grams, his tetradrachms weighed the same as the shekels that Tyre would strike upon achieving independence from the Seleucids.

Shekels and Half Shekels of Tyre began being issued as autonomous silver coins in 126/125 BCE after gaining freedom from Seleucid domination that year. Although similar in style to the Seleucid coinage, the most obvious change was the King's bust being replaced with the city's chief god Melqart.

They have become highly desired due to their being the money of choice for payments to the Jerusalem Temple. The half shekel was the required yearly tribute to the temple for every Jewish male over the age of 20.

Ed Cohen notes in Dated Coins of Antiquity, that the minting of Tyre shekels or, more specifically, half shekels, ended at the onset of the Jewish Revolt in 65/66 and the minting of the Jewish Revolt shekels then begins. This, along with other compelling evidence, has led many, including me, to believe the later "KP" shekels were struck south of Tyre.