Virginia Wayland
Judean coins (Nov. 2007)
0.
1. Herod the Great AE Prutah.
14 mm; 2.21 g
start $1.50 2 bids;
Herod the Great issued coins [40] 37-4 B.C.E. in
five
denominations: Chalkous, Hemichalkous,
Dilepton or Prutah, Lepton, and Hemilepton.
Some coins were dated LΓ P indicating the third year
of his rule either as Procurator or as King.
None of the coins listed by Maltiel-Gerstenfeld seem consistent
with
this one, either with respect to size or to the figures shown.
2. Pontius Pilate AE Prutah. 15 mm; 2.06 g
$1.81 2 bids;
Dileptons
(Prutahs) were issued with dates "Year 17" (30/31 C.E.) or "Year
18" (31/32 C.E.). Obverse:
Lituus; border of dots. Legend
around from left below: TIBEPIOU
KAICAPOC. Reverse: Wreath
tied at the bottom; border of dots within
which date. Reported in
Maltiel-Gerstenfeld 241(220): 14.3
– 16 mm; 1.89 – 2.37 g, or 245 (222): 14.1 – 15.5 mm; 2.03 – 2.35 g. Either date is consistent with this coin.
3. Antonius Felix AE Prutah.
17 mm; 2.96 g
Maltiel-Gerstenfeld
246 (223)? 16 – 17 mm; 2.62 g. Dilepton
or Prutah. Obeverse: Two
elongated shields and two crossed spears;
border of dots. Legend around from left
below: ΝΕΡΩ
ΚΛΑΥ
ΚΑΙCΑΡ. Reverse: Palm tree with seven branches and two bunches
of dates: border of dots.
Legend above:
BPIT KAI. Date in field on both
sides of the tree in two lines:
"Year 14" (54 C.E.) L ΙΔ
Κ
ΑΙ. The diameter is roughly consistent with our
coin, but the coin shown is somewhat heavier.
The palm tree design shown at left is consistent with the
description,
but the date might be better read as L I
K N ("Year 10")?
4. Agrippa I AE Prutah. 17
mm; 2.98 g.
$5.40 2 bids
Listed in Maltiel-Gerstenfeld
144 (129) as
a Quadrans? Obverse: Canopy;
border of dots. Legend reads ΒΑCΙΛΕWC ΑΓΡΙΠΑ.
Reverse:
Three ears of barley issuing from between leaves;
border of dots. No legend.
Date in field L S "Year 6" (42-43 C.E.). The
size, 16.5 – 18 mm; 2.17 -3.07 g, is
appropriate.
5. Jewish War AE Prutah. 16
mm; 2.39 g.
Listed in
Maltiel-Gerstenfeld 253 (230)
AE, 15.5 – 21 mm; 2.28 -3.60 g. Perutah.
Obverse: Amphora with hammered
belly, wide rim and two handles; border
of dots. Legend around from left: "year 2" (67/68 C.E.) Reverse:
Vine branch with leaf and tendril;
border of dots. Legend around
from left: "The freedom of
6. No ID.
17 mm; 2.58 g.
This
coin
matches that listed in Maltiel-Gerstenfeld 247 (224) issued under the
procurator Porcius Festus (58 – 60 C.E.) in the reign of Nero. AE, 14 – 16.6 mm; 2.09 – 2.65 g.
Dilepton or Prutah. Obverse:
Wreath tied at bottom, within which legend in three lines: NEP/WNO/C.
Reverse: Palm branch;
border of dots. Legend around from
left below: "Year 5 Ceasar" (58/59 C.E.)
LE
KAICAPOC.
7. Herod the Great Prutah. 12
mm; 1.51 g.
(See
No. 15 below. This coin is both smaller
in diameter and heavier than the coins listed in Maltiel-Gerstenfeld.)
8. No ID. 14 mm; 1.80 g.
Consistent
with a coin issued in the time of Alexander Jannaeus (103 – 76 B.C.E.) described by Maltiel-Gerstenfeld 41(37). AE, 13 – 14.5 mm; 1.89 -3.01 g.
Dilepton or prutah. Obverse:
Wreath tied at bottom. Legend
"Yenhonathan the High Priest and Hever of the Jews" in four or five
lines. Script: Classic,
broad classic, block, cursive and
barbaric. Reverse: Double
cornucopiae, pomegranate between
horns; border of dots.
A similar coin 39 (35) was issued by Yehohnan
Hyrcanus with the inscription:
"Yehohanan the High Priest" in three or four lines.
Script:
Aramaic. [AE, 11.4 – 15 mm; 0.83
-1.89 g]. Another similar coin, 40 (36),
was issued by Yehuda Aristobulus 1 (104 – 103 B.C.E) with the legend
"Yehuda the High Priest and Hever of the Jews" in four or five
lines. Script: Hanan
or block. [AE, 13 – 15 mm; 2.09 – 2.25 g. Dilepton or Prutah]
9. Jannaeus AE Prutah. 16
mm;
2.52 g.
$4.75 2 bids
Described
by Maltiel-Gerstenfeld 50 (46)? AE, 13
-16.4 mm; 2.61 – 2.55 g. Dilepton or
Prutah. Obverse: Star
with eight rays within border of dots. Legend:
"King Alexander, Year 25" (approx. 78 B.C.E.) in Aramaic. Reverse:
Anchor within circle. Legend
around from right above in Greek. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ
ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ. Date
in field: LKE (=25)
The coin
shown has no visible legend on the obverse, and
the star appears to be within a circle rather than a border of dots?
10. Roman Judean 15 mm; minted by Pontius
Pilate? Seller (biblicalmites) claims at
the time of the crucifixion.
$75 minimum, no bids;
(See
also
No. 2 above) Dileptons
(Prutahs) were
issued with dates "Year 17" (30/31 C.E.) or "Year 18"
(31/32 C.E.). Obverse:
Lituus; border of dots. Legend
around from left below: TIBEPIOU
KAICAPOC. Reverse: Wreath
tied at the bottom; border of dots within
which date. Reported in
Maltiel-Gerstenfeld 241(220): 14.3
– 16 mm; 1.89 – 2.37 g, or 245 (222): 14.1 – 15.5 mm; 2.03 – 2.35 g.
11. Judean coin. Bar Kochba (rare) Bronze AE19. 19 mm. (AU)
Archaeology Pty Ltd.,
$550 minimum (or "buy it now" price);
Reported
in Maltiel-Gerstenfeld 345(309) AE, 16.5
– 21 mm; 4.70 -5.13 g. Semis. Obverse:
Palm tree with seven branches; border of dots.
Legend across field in two lines: "
12. ANCIENT JUDEAN COIN ..
PORCIUS
FESTUS UNDER NERO.. 59 - 61 A.D... BRONZE
PRUTAH.. 15 MM..
This
coin
may match that listed in Maltiel-Gerstenfeld 247 (224) issued under the
procurator Porcius Festus (58 – 60 C.E.) in the reign of Nero. AE, 14 – 16.6 mm; 2.09 – 2.65 g.
Dilepton or Prutah. Obverse:
Wreath tied at bottom, within which legend in three lines: NEP/WNO/C.
Reverse: Palm branch;
border of dots. Legend around from
left below: "Year 5 Ceasar" (58/59 C.E.)
LE
KAICAPOC. The obverse may be
mistamped. Note the wedge shaped cut
from the upper left of our coin and the flattened (cut?) edge.
13. ANCIENT JUDEAN COIN.
begin bidding 11/17/07;
Listed in Maltiel-Gerstenfeld
144 (129) as
a Quadrans? Obverse: Canopy;
border of dots. Legend reads ΒΑCΙΛΕWC ΑΓΡΙΠΑ.
Reverse:
Three
ears of barley issuing from between leaves;
border of dots. No legend. Date in field L S "Year 6" (42-43
C.E.). The size, 16.5 – 18 mm; 2.17
-3.07 g, is appropriate. (See also No. 4
above)
14. ANCIENT JUDEAN
COIN. WIDOW'S
MITE. BRONZE LEPTON 11x14 MM. MINTED BY ALEXANDER JANNAEUS
103 -76
B.C.
begin bidding $3.50 11/17/07;
Reported
by Maltiel-Gerstenfeld 48(44) AE, 11 –
13.1 mm; 1.22 g. Lepton.
Obverse:
Star with eight rays, no legend.
Reverse: Anchor within
circle. No legend.
15. Herod I, 40 - 4
B.C. Bronze Prutah. 15 mm. Obv. - Anchor Greek - "of King
Herod"
Rev. - 2 cornucopias, caduceus between them...
Ref. BMC 224 – 6/40 -65; K 35;
AJC/17; R 33; M 53 The obverse is
an anchor with a border of
dots, and legend in Greek BACI HPW. The
reverse is a doble cornucopia; caduceus; above five pellets; border of
dots. This coin appears to be struck of
center. According to Maltiel-Gerstenfeld
(No. 87 (77)), these range from 12 .5 – 16 mm; 1.03 -1.48 g. (See No. 7 above)
Descriptions
are taken from:
Maltiel-Gerstenfeld,
Jacob A New Catalogue of Ancient
Jewish Coins (Tel-Aviv: Minerva, 1987)
Other
sources:
Maltiel-Gerstenfeld,
Jacob 260 Years of Ancient Jewish
Coins: A Catalogue (Tel Aviv: Kol, 1982)
Meshorer,
Ya'akov A Treasury of Jewish Coins
(
Meshorer,
Ya'akov The Coinage of Aelia Capitolina (Israel Museum: Jerusalem:
Keter, 1989)
