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Dishekel
| Issuer | Tyre |
|---|---|
| Year | 430 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Drachm |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 𐤋𐤔𐤋𐤔𐤌 |
| Reverse description | Owl standing to right, wings folded, with a draped cloak and tail feathers rendered in detail behind; the entire design is set within a recessed incuse square border, executed in the incuse technique typical of archaic Phoenician coinage. The austere composition reflects strong Aegean artistic influence, likely inspired by contemporary Athenian owl coinage, adapted to the Tyrian monetary tradition. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Tyre's silver coinage was among the most trusted in the ancient Mediterranean, and the dishekel served as the commercial backbone of Phoenician trade networks stretching from the Levant to Carthage. The city operated under Achaemenid Persian suzerainty at this period, yet retained remarkable autonomy over its own mint — an arrangement the Persians tolerated because Tyrian silver reliably facilitated the tribute and trade flows the empire depended on.
The specific BMC Greek #1 placement is telling: this is the catalogers' anchor piece for the entire Tyrian series.