Analogous
to the city-state political system of Phoenicia & its colonies,
Phoenician money was minted by inidivual cities. Coins of various
metals were minted by individual cities and reflected the prominent
god of the city and its king or the ruling emperor (current conquerors).
Raw copper was a kind of pre-monetary currency. Originally, however,
barter was the means of paying for trade and goods while states
collect taxes from peasant's harvest. Money replaced barter with
time, especially in Phoenician trade. Below
are few samples.
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Additional
Samples of Phoenician coins: |
Right
are links to pages that contain city-specific images of coins:
Various denominations & dates listed by cities.
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- Arados
Anon. City coinage (early 1st century AD (?))
AE 17, SGIC-, 17 x 14 mm., 2.95 gm.
Die position=8h
reverse
Obverse: Turreted City goddess, right.
Reverse: War galley.
Note: In the style of the coins of
Nabataea, circa 20 - 40 AD.
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Sidon
Anon. City coinage
circa 2nd century AD (?), AE 14, SGIC -, 14 mm., 2.94 gm.
Die position=12h
reverse
Obverse: Veiled and turreted bust of
City goddess, right.
Reverse: War galley; Greek legend.
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Marathos
Ptolemy VI, Philometer (180 - 145 BC)
174 BC, AE 21, SGCv2 6038v., 21 mm., 6.05 gm.
Die position=1h
reverse
Obverse: Young Ptolemy VI as Hermes
(?), right.
Reverse: Marathos holding aphlaston.
Phoenician Aramaic legend.
Note: Ptolemy would have been 11 when
this coin was struck.
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Sidon
Anon. City coinage
circa 2nd century AD (?), AE 15, SGIC -, 15 mm., 3.01 gm.
Die position=12h
reverse
Obverse: Veiled and turreted bust of
City goddess, right.
Reverse: War galley; Greek legend.
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Marathos
Ptolemy VI, Philometer (180 - 145 BC)
circa 165 BC, AE 20, SGCv2 6037v., 19 x 20 mm., 8.71 gm.
Die position=12h
reverse
Obverse: Veiled bust of Berenice II (wife
of Ptolemy III), right.
Reverse: Very stylized Marathos holding
aphlaston. Phoenician Aramaic legend.
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Tyre
Anon. City coinage/reign of Hadrian
121/22 AD, AE 14, SGIC-, 15 mm., 2.85 gm.
Die position=12h
reverse
Obverse: Veiled and turreted bust of
City goddess, right.
Reverse: Palm tree; Greek legend.
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Sidon
Anon. City coinage, circa 87 BC
AE 20, SGCv2 5964, 20 x 18 mm., 4.04 gm.
Die position=12h
reverse
Obverse: Veiled and turreted bust of
City goddess, right; 'MEN' in left field.
Reverse: Astarte standing left on war
galley, holding tiller and standard. In field to left 'LEK'=year
25=87/6 BC. Greek legend; Phoenician Aramaic legend in exergue.
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Tyre
Anon. City coinage/Antoninus Pius (?), circa 150 AD
AE 20, SGIC 5212v., 20 x 19 mm., 6.24 gm.
Die position=11h
reverse
Obverse: Veiled and turreted bust of
City goddess, right.
Reverse: War galley; Greek legend.
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Sidon
Anon. City coinage, circa 100 AD (?)
AE 20, SGIC -, 20 mm., 5.65 gm.
Die position=12h
reverse
Obverse: Veiled and turreted bust of
City goddess, right.
Reverse: War galley; Greek legend.
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Key:
Mitchiner ACW
= Michael Mitchiner, Oriental Coins, the Ancient and Classical
World, Hawkins Publications, London (1978)
Hendin = David Hendin, Guide to Biblical
Coins, Amphora, New York (1996)
SGCv2 = David R. Sear, Greek Coins
and their values, Volume 2: Asia and Africa, Seaby, London (1979)
SGIC = David R. Sear, Greek Imperial
Coins and their values, Seaby, London (1982)
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