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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Judean & Biblical Coins| ▸ |Holyland Rarities||View Options:   | | | |
This coin is listed in Hendin's Guide to Biblical Coins as extremely rare and without a price. Struck from the same dies as the Zurqieh example on the Menorah Coin Project. Meshorer reports the lead tesserae of Alexander Jannaeus are found almost exclusively in Transjordan, as was this example.JS08257. Lead tessera, Menorah Coin Project type III, HGC 10 640, VF, weight 1.370 g, maximum diameter 13.5 mm, Transjordan mint, obverse Central elevated dot surrounded by six loop rays, all within a circle.; reverse blank; extremely rare; SOLD
Gaza, Philistia, Autonomous Period, c. 108/107 - 30 B.C.
Gaza's long and rich history as an important port and link in the Incense Route is largely one of subjugation, but beginning around 108/107 B.C., the city apparently was granted autonomous status by the Seleucid king, Antiochus VIII. This act was in line with other bestowals of autonomy to several of Gaza's coastal neighbors (e.g. Sidon and Ascalon) around the same time. The present coin, although undated, is believed by Oliver Hoover in a footnote to his 2007 Schweizerische Numismatische Rundschau article "The Dated Coinage of Gaza in Historical Context (264/3 BC - AD 241/2)," to have been struck right before the city's earliest known dated civic issues, of SE 205 (108/107 B.C.). Autonomous coinage would continue to be sporadically produced down to 43/42 B.C., during which time (and for many years before) its "freedom" was dictated by the Romans. In 30 B.C., they added the city to Herod the Great's Judaean kingdom.
ΔHMOY ΓAΞAIΩN is commonly translated as "of the Demos of the Gazaeans" (or similar). This would make sense if the personification so invoked was present pictorially somewhere on our coin. Instead, the head on the obverse, identified as Zeus's by a string of numismatic authorities stretching all the way from Sestini and Mionnet to the present, is sometimes seen with a scepter behind, as on some (or all?) the specimens of the left-leaning double cornucopia variety (e.g. Sofaer 30). An attribution to Demos is therefore unlikely. The alternative interpretation "of the people of the Gazaeans" sounds awkwardly redundant to our modern ears, but is perhaps more accurate, stressing the coin was issued by "the people" and not some authority above the Gazaeans. In reading the long version of their bold statement of autonomy (i.e. ΔHMOY ΓAΞAIΩN IEP[AΣ] AΣY[ΛOY]), the Sofaer authors treated the ethnic more along the lines of an adjective: "of the Gazaean people, sacred [and] inviolable."GB13853. Bronze AE 20, Sofaer 30; Rosenberger 27; HGC 10 585; BMC Palestine p. 143, 1 & 3 var. (horns r.); Mi Supp 8, no. 47 var. (obv. star; horns r.; leg. arr.), aF, uneven strike on oblong flan with casting sprue and attractive sandy sediments; some roughness on rev., weight 4.581 g, maximum diameter 19.8 mm, die axis 0o, Gaza mint, c. late 2nd century B.C.; obverse laureate head of Zeus right, scepter (probably) behind (off flan); reverse ΔHMOY - ΓAΞAIΩN (clockwise beginning upper right), a "branch" of two cornucopias attached to stalk-like base, both horns parallel with tops leaning left, each sporting a dangling grape cluster; this coin sat in the FORVM mystery box unattributed for 20 years!; very rare; SOLD
Judaea, Achaemenid Persian Yehud Province, c. 375 - 332 B.C.
"The notable relationship between man and his god was that between supplicant and listener: the supplicant voices his prayer and entreaties to his god, and the god listens and tries to carry out his wishes. Thus the god's most important organ was his ear that heard the prayer..." -- Y. Meshorer in A Treasury of Jewish Coins.
"Incline Thine ear, O Lord, and answer me" (Psalms 86:1)
"for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord" (Numbers 11:18).JD99503. Silver gerah, G-L-F Yehud type 13 (O1/R1), Hendin 6060 (RR), Menorah Coin Project YHD 13 (01/R1), Meshorer TJC 18, HGC 10 440, Bromberg -, Shoshana -, Sofaer -, VF, toned, off center, light marks and scratches, die wear, edge split, weight 0.295 g, maximum diameter 8.2 mm, Jerusalem (or nearby) mint, c. 350 - 332 B.C.; obverse ear (of God?); reverse falcon upward, head right, wings open, Aramaic
(YHD) on right, read right to left (upward); very rare; SOLDMacedonian Kingdom, Alexander the Great, 336 - 323 B.C.
Struck at Akko, Israel!SH33206. Gold stater, Price 3261 - 3264, VF, weight 8.498 g, maximum diameter 17.8 mm, die axis 0o, Galilee, Ake Ptolemais (Acre, Israel) mint, c. 322 - 320 B.C.; obverse head of Athena right wearing earring, necklace, and crested Corinthian helmet decorated with griffin, hair in ringlets; reverse Nike standing left, wreath in right hand, stylus in left, Phoenician numeral lower right (off-flan), AΛEΞANΔPOY downward behind; SOLD
Judaea, Valerius Gratus, Roman Prefect Under Tiberius, 15 - 26 A.D., Cohors II Italica Civium Romanorum Countermark
Now there was a certain man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort...(Acts 10:1).
Spijkermann was the first to publish a countermarked prutah, also a Valerius Gratus coin, in 1963. Lönnqvist published the first detailed study, "New Vistas on the Countermarked Coins of the Roman Prefects of Judaea" in INJ 12. Kogon published an update, "Countermarks on Small Judean Coins" in INR 7, identifying 47 known specimens of countermarked prutah of all types. Both papers are available online. Lönnqvist interpreted CΠ in the countermark as an abbreviation for the Greek word ΣΠΕIPA, referring to a Roman legionary tactical unit, a cohors. The use of CΠ referring to a cohors is also known from an inscription. He suggested that the countermarks were applied in 36 - 37 A.D. in Jerusalem to mark the coins as pay for the soldiers of the cohors II Italica civium Romanorum.JD111613. Bronze prutah, Hendin 6369a (same c/m); RPC I 4966.8-11 (same); Meshorer TJC 330 (same); countermark: Kogon 3b, Howgego GIC 386, coin: Fair, countermark: VF, weight 2.195 g, maximum diameter 17.7 mm, die axis 0o, Jerusalem mint, 24 - 25 A.D., c/m: 36 - 37/41 A.D.; obverse TIB / KAI/CAP (Greek: Tiberius Caesar) in three lines within wreath tied at base with an X; reverse palm branch curving right, flanked by IOY-ΛIA (Greek: Julia = Tiberius' mother Livia) above L - IA (year 11 of Tiberius) in two lines across field; countermark: palm frond flanked by C-Π within 8mm circular punch; from the collection of a Texas clergyman, ex J. P. Fontanille Collection (2016); rare countermark; SOLD
Judaea, Achaemenid Persian Yehud Province, c. 375 - 333 B.C.
Yehud, or Yehud Medinata (Aramaic for Province of Judah), was a province of the Persian Achaemenid Empire which corresponded to the previous Babylonian province of Yehud, which was formed after the fall of the kingdom of Judah to the Neo-Babylonian Empire in 597 B.C. The territory, which was ruled by mostly Jewish governors, was considerably smaller and held a far smaller population than the kingdom of Judah before the Babylonian conquest. Yehud existed until the area was incorporated into the empires of Alexander the Great and his successors.JD111394. Silver half gerah, G-L-F Yehud type 14 (O1/R1), Hendin 6059a (RR); Meshorer TJC pl. 2, 15; Sofaer p. 241, 10; HGC 10 442 (R1), VF, tight flan, obv. off center, weight 0.270 g, maximum diameter 7.3 mm, die axis 0o, Jerusalem mint, c. 375 - 333 B.C.; obverse lily; reverse falcon facing, flying upward, wings spread, head right, long wings, Aramaic
(YHD) upward on right (off flan); rare; SOLDSeleukid Kingdom, Demetrius III, c. 96 - 87 B.C.
Demetrius III Eucaerus ("the Timely") was nicknamed Acaerus ("the Untimely) by the Jews. He defeated the Hasmonaean Priest King Alexander Jannaeus but was forced to withdraw from Judaea by the hostile population. While attempting to dethrone his brother, Philip I Philadelphus, he was defeated by the Arabs and Parthians, and taken prisoner. He was held in confinement in Parthia by Mithridates II until his death in 88 B.C.SH28097. Silver tetradrachm, Houghton-Lorber II 2451(5), SNG Spaer 2862 var. (date); Houghton II 799 var. (date); Newell LSM 127 var. (monogram), VF, scratch on reverse, a little rough, weight 15.769 g, maximum diameter 28.9 mm, die axis 0o, Damascus mint, 91 - 90 B.C.; obverse diademed head of Demetrios III right, curly beard, diadem ends fall straight behind, fillet border; reverse BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΔHMHTPIOY ΘEOY ΦIΛOΠATOPOΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ, cult image of Atargatis standing facing, holding flower, barley stalk behind each shoulder, N over Δ (controls) outer left, date BKΣ (year 222 of the Seleucid Era) in exergue, laurel wreath border; very rare; SOLD
Judean Kingdom, Alexander Jannaeus (Yehonatan), 103 - 76 B.C.
Unpopular, Jannaeus was pelted with citrons on Sukkot. Enraged, he killed some 6,000 citizens. A revolt erupted and rebels called on the Seleucid King Demetrius III for aid. Demetrius forced him into the mountains but then withdrew. Back in power, Jannaeus crucified 800 rebels forcing them to watch the slaughter of their wives and children from their crosses.JD98781. Bronze lepton, Hendin 6183 (RR); BMC Palestine p. 199, 9; Meshorer TJC O; Sofaer 220; Meshorer AJC B; HGC 10 643; SNG ANS -, F, earthen deposits, remnant of a pre-strike casting sprue, weight 1.293 g, maximum diameter 13.7 mm, die axis 0o, Jerusalem mint, 103 - 76 B.C.; obverse Paleo-Hebrew legend counterclockwise from upper left:
(Yehonatan the King), palm branch upright; reverse lily; from an Israeli collection, first specimen of this type handled by FORVM; very rare; SOLDJudaea, Bar Kochba Revolt, 132 - 135 A.D.
The Bar Kokhba revolt, led by Simon bar Kokhba, was the last of the major Jewish–Roman wars. The Roman army suffered heavy losses. It took six full legions, auxiliaries, and elements from as many as six more legions three years to crush the revolt. The Romans annihilated much of the Judean population. In 134, the they captured Jerusalem and Simon bar Kokhba was killed in 135. An altar to Jupiter was erected on the site of the Temple. The Jewish diaspora began as Hadrian barred Jews from Jerusalem and had survivors were dispersed across the Roman Empire. Many were sold into slavery. The Jewish people remained scattered without a homeland for close to two millennia.JD111142. Bronze AE 21, Mildenberg p. 247, 147 (O1/R1); Hendin 6409a (R); Sofaer p. 277, 26; Meshorer TJC p. 246, 225, Choice VF, well struck on a broad flan, brown patina with reddish earthen deposits, scratches, weight 7.665 g, maximum diameter 21.4 mm, die axis 180o, Jerusalem mint, 132 - 133 A.D.; obverse retrograde Paleo-Hebrew inscription: "Elezar the Priest", seven-branched palm tree with two small bunches of dates, top of tree bent to the left; reverse Paleo-Hebrew inscription: 'year one for the Freedom of Israel", bunch of grapes on vine with small leaf; ex Amphora Coins (David Hendin) with his signed photo authenticity receipt; ex S. Moussaieff Collection; ex Goldberg auction 110 (4 Jun 2019), lot 1776 (part of); rare; SOLD
Judah, Limestone Dome Weight, 24 Shekels (Fragment, 113.239g), 800 - 586 B.C.
Robert Deutsch identified this as a 20 shekel weight, uncertain of the full weight, but according to David Hendin 20 shekel dome weights are not known to exist. Also, in his Excavations in Jerusalem, Tushingham lists a similar creamy white limestone 24 shekel dome weight with the same symbol, and at 268.3g, it is clearly a 24 shekel weight. Yohanan Aharoni in "The Use of Hieratic Numerals in Hebrew Ostraca and the Shekel Weights" discusses another 24 shekel weight with the same symbols (fig. 2c), and describes the use of these symbols for 24 shekels as "unique." Apparently it is not unique, but it is undoubtedly extremely rare.AS111510. Judah, dome 24 shekel weight fragment; Tushingham fig. 79, 9 (whole, 268.3g, same hieratic mark); see Aharoni Hieratic p. 16, fig. 2c, Choice, but a fragment of about 42% of the original weight; 113.239g, 53.5mm diameter, 40.8mm high, pre-exile, 800 - 586 B.C.; carved creamy white limestone dome, hieratic
(24 shekels) inscribed on top; ex Archaeological Center (Robert Deutsch, Tel Aviv, Israel), auction 51 (17 Oct 2011), lot 71; extremely rare; SOLD
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