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 Replies: 9 / Views: 831 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
Silver Phoenician coins are expensive and/or hard to find. Especially the Tyre shekels associated with Judas, and anything from Carthage. But silver tetrobols are a different matter. They date from pre Alexandrian conquest, at the peak of Phoenicia's power. They are relatively abundant and affordable. I picked one up on the Bay but don't have it in hand yet.
Does anyone else here collect these coins? "Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
Edited by thq
07/11/2025 8:59 pm
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Moderator
 United States
34423 Posts |
@thq, I'm really looking forward to some pictures when you have the coin in hand. I only have one Tetrobol, but it is from the land on the other side of Cyprus (Caria, Kindya). Here is a link to the write-up that I did on that coin: https://goccf.com/t/341860#2925849And I agree about the oddly high prices for anything Carthage. I'm sure that there is a good supply/demand answer, but I don't have it. "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2237 Posts |
I have a few coins from Arados, Sidon and Tyre (shekel) but no tetrobol.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
3343 Posts |
I didn't have to search hard to find much more pre-Alexandrian Phoenician silver. Picked up a decent Tyre shekel with Melqart (?) on a hippocamp and owl reverse. The Sidon fractional shekels are attractive, superabundant and affordable but very tiny. The Byblos coins don't interest me as much.
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
Here's the Arados tetrobol. 11 mm diameter, 2.6 grams and shiny. It is thick. The ebay pictures did not show the head of Melqart very well. The bust is very good but hard to photograph due to the shininess of the coin.   "Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
Edited by thq
07/23/2025 8:01 pm
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Moderator
United States
34423 Posts |
Very nice, although yes it seems overexposed. Is that a ship's prow on the rev?
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
Edited by thq
07/24/2025 12:02 pm
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Moderator
United States
34423 Posts |
Ah ok thx for helping me to learn something today @thq!
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
The ca 350 BC Tyre shekel arrived yesterday from CNG. Heavy (12 grams), thick and crude. It might be fourree, judging from a piece knocked out of the edge. The engraving of the hippocamp and dolphin is good, but the owl is pretty worn.
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
Picked up a couple more, an NGC Sidon dishekel and an Arados shekel. Once I get started on something it's hard to stop. These coins are part of the record of what Phoenician warships looked like. One has been recovered off the coast of Sicily near Marsala. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar...ic_shipwreck"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
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Replies: 9 / Views: 831 |
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Posted 07/11/2025 10:48 pm
