It was particularly known for the production of a rare and extraordinarily expensive sort of purple dye, produced from the murex shellfish, known as Tyrian purple. The colour was, in ancient cultures, reserved for the use of royalty or at least the nobility.
The Achaemenid Empire conquered the city in 539 BC and kept it under its rule until 332 BC, where it was conquered and razed by Alexander the Great. When the area became a Roman province in 64 BC, it was allowed to keep much of its independence, as a "civitas foederata".
Tyre continued to maintain much of its commercial importance until the Common Era.
Modern location: Tyre, Lebanon
Reverse: Eagle standing left on prow left, with palm branch over shoulder; to left, club surmounted by (TYP) monogram; to right, EΞP (date) above (ΓHP) monogram; AΛEΞANΔPOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 13.1 g
Reverse: BAΣIΛEΩΣ-ANTIOXOY, eagle standing left on prow, palm over right wing; A/PE above club surmounted by TYP monogram to left, AΣY monogram above ϚOP (date) to right, ΓΠP monogram between legs
Die Orientation: 12 H
Weight: 14.16 g
Ex Medicus Collection (note the photo) Stack's Coin Galleries November 2002, lot 144
Reverse: eagle facing, head left, wreath in beak, murex shell and club below ·ΔHMAPX·EΞ·VΠATOC·TO·Δ·
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 12.7 g
Reverse: Zeus seated on throne holding an eagle and a scepter; monograms to left and below throne; Greek text to right (AΛEΞANΔPOY) and below throne (ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ)
Die Orientation: 0 H
Weight: 17.3 g
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Reverse: Eagle standing left on prow left, with palm branch over shoulder; to left, club surmounted by (TYP) monogram; to right, OP (date) above (ΓHP) monogram; ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ__ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 13.3 g
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Reverse: ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ, eagle standing left on thunderbolt with wings spread; Π above club to left
Die Orientation: 12 H
Weight: 3.69 g
Reverse: City goddess (Tyche?) right, seated on a rock, holding heads of grain, river god (Orontes?) swimming at her feet; ∆HMAPX__EΞ IϚ YΠAT Ϛ
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 13.8 g
Reverse: Phoenician galley sailing left; HΛΣ / (TYP) IEPAΣ / MHTPOΠO / ΛEωΣ
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 9.93 g
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Reverse: Owl standing right, head facing; crook and flail behind date II (year 2) and Phoenician letter tsade in right fields
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 8.6 g
Reverse: eagle standing left on prow of galley with palm on wing; club left; ΤΥΡΟΥ ΙΕΡΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΣΥΛΟΥ / PKB _ KP / monogram or Greek letters / beth
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 5.9 g