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THE COIN COLLECTOR - World eBook Library

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TERMINOLOGY<br />

Shekel, with the half and the quarter—A silver coin<br />

of Judaea = four Tyrian drachmai, with the legends in<br />

Samaritan characters, first struck, so far as is known,<br />

about b.c. 143-137. These coins are of thick fabric,<br />

and have become, through finds, comparatively plentiful.<br />

There is also a half-shekel struck over a Roman<br />

denarius of ordinary module. Both the Jewish shekel<br />

and the half-shekel are interesting in connection with<br />

the Scriptural incidents of the Betrayal and the<br />

tribute-money.<br />

Shilling—(i.) A well-known English denomination,<br />

commencing with Henry VII. in 1504, and existing<br />

down to the present time in a periodically modified<br />

form. The first of the modern type is that of<br />

Cromwell, 1658. The first shilling (and sixpence) on<br />

which the appellation occurs are those of 1831. (ii.)<br />

A silver coin of Scotland = a penny English, first<br />

struck under James VI., first coinage (1567), in the<br />

multiples of 30 (sword-dollar), and later on, fourth<br />

coinage (1581), of 16, 8, 4 and 2; fifth coinage, 40,<br />

30, 20, 10 ; seventh coinage, 50. After the Union,<br />

we find the 60, 30, 12, 6, 3, 2, 1, and half-shilling<br />

(1605). The higher values, especially the sixty-shilling<br />

of James II. and William III., are rare. The sixty-<br />

shilling piece was = five shillings English currency.<br />

Siege-money—The pieces struck either by the in-<br />

habitants of the place besieged or by the besiegers, or<br />

both. It constitutes an enormous series, of which even<br />

265

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