Silver Tyrian Shekel | Second Temple Period Temple Tax Coin 126 BC – AD 66

This authentic silver Tyrian Shekel was struck in the Phoenician city of Tyre and circulated widely in Judea during the Second Temple period. Because of its high silver purity, this coin became the official currency accepted for the annual Temple tax in Jerusalem and is directly connected to the biblical account of the money changers in the Temple.

The obverse depicts the head of the god Melqart, while the reverse shows an eagle standing on a ship’s prow with the Greek inscription identifying Tyre as the issuing authority. Coins of this type were used by pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem from across the Roman world and remain among the most recognized “Coins of the Bible.”

This coin belongs to the Second Temple Period (516 BC – AD 70) and was struck between approximately 126 BC and AD 66, when Tyrian shekels served as the required silver currency for Temple tax payments in Jerusalem.

These coins circulated in Judea during the lifetime of Jesus and are closely associated with the historical setting of the New Testament, particularly the account describing the money changers operating within the Temple courts.

The coin is struck in high-purity silver (approximately 94%), a standard that distinguished Tyrian shekels from most contemporary Roman provincial coinage. Their reliable weight and silver content made them the preferred currency for sacred payments at the Jerusalem Temple.

Although officially issued in Tyre, later examples of this type were likely produced locally in the region of Judea under Roman authority while preserving the traditional Tyrian design. The reverse eagle and Greek legend ΤΥΡΟΥ ΙΕΡΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΣΥΛΟΥ confirm the coin’s association with Tyre’s long-standing monetary standard.