'A shekel' signifies the price or estimation of good and truth, and 'half a shekel' signifies the determination of the quantity thereof.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 3104)

886. And hath received the mark on his forehead or on his hand, signifies acceptance and acknowledgment of these as goods of the church or as truths of the church. This is evident from the explanations above (n. 838), where like words occur. "To receive the mark on the forehead" signifies to love these things and thus acknowledge them as goods of the church, for "the forehead" signifies the good of love (See above, n. 427), here to acknowledge evils as goods; and "to receive the mark on the hand" signifies to acknowledge the falsities of that faith as truths of the church, for the "hands" are predicated of truths (See above, n. 298). This makes clear that "to receive the mark on the forehead or on the hand" signifies to accept by acknowledgment the evils of the doctrine of faith alone as goods of the church, and its falsities as truths of the church. It is said, "as goods of the church or as truths of the church," because there are those who love that faith that is signified by the "beast," and there are those who acknowledge that faith as the truth of the church; these are the simple-minded who accept that faith, but the former are the learned who glory in their learning because they have learned in the schools the degrees of justification and have thus come to believe that they are wiser than the common people. The same is true of those who live for the world and for their own gratification, and yet think at times about eternal life; for these confirm their life by that faith.