An addition to my growing Judaean collection - First Jewish War "year two" prutah

I actually won this in a contest over on the AncientCoins subreddit but had been shopping around and looking at a few examples for a couple of weeks prior. After studying the history of the First Jewish War and Bar Kochba and the coinage the jews minted during each one I had to pick one up. I'd like to get a Bar Kochba bronze as well, but that might be a while.

Judaea. First Jewish War. Struck year two 67/68 A.D. Obverse: Rimmed amphora with paleo-Hebrew inscription YEAR TWO. Reverse: Vine leaf on small branch with tendril, paleo-Hebrew inscription FREEDOM OF ZION. Hendin 661

 

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Sweet prutah, red_spork ... I love the red patina leaf (very cool addition)

I only have a couple of prutah examples from Judaea (wanna see 'em?)

Alexander Jannaeus AE Prutah (Widow’s Mite)
Date: 103-76 BC
Diameter: 13.0 mm
Weight: 1.1 gr
Obverse: Anchor
Reverse: Star of eight rays



Herod Agrippa I AE Prutah
Date: 41-42 AD
Diameter: 17.2 mm
Weight: 2.5 grams
Obverse: Canopy, legend around
Reverse: Three ears of grain

 

I don't know these coins very well, but from what I do know, this looks like a good example.

 

Very nice r_s, one i have on my want list...

I have a few..

Pontius Pilate..year 16=29/30 BC.
16mmx 2.21g.




Herod Archelaus..6/4..BC.
17mm x 2.39
Jerusalem mint.



Herod Agrippa l ..41-2 BC.
Ae.. Prutah
17mm x 2.68g.
Jerusalem mint




Porcius Festus under Nero.59-62..AD.
Ae Prutah

Not sure if this one is upside down..

 

Thanks for the kind words, all. Nice Herod Agrippa I, eng. I actually just purchased one of those earlier today.

 

@ RS. This coin resembles yours up in the first posted image, but mine is of poor condition. I also noticed this striking " coincidence " of the coin's edge being seriously cut or corroded in both of our coins.

 

Do you think that little bite out of the flans occurred while they were being made? (curious, are there also examples with an extra "lump/prue" rather than an indent?)

=> an outty, rather than an inny?

 

I you wanted to you could make a nice collection of Judaean shapes. They made very little effort to make them all round. These four are all the same in some ways and all different in others. When buying these, remember they exist by the millions. You can wait for the right one if you want or you can buy a fistful.

 

One more..

Herod l ..10/9 BC.
Ae Prutah
Obv. HPW BACIA Anchor.
Rev. double cornucopia with caduceus between, dots above.
15mm x 1.51g.
Jerusalem mint..
(May have been minted because of founding of Herod's port at Caesarea Maritima
Hendin 1188.

 

That rectangular one is really interesting, I might have to keep my eyes out for something similar. I recently read this paper by David Hendin about a test strike that was done with Bar Kochba denar dies on a similar planchet.

 

that's a nice looking one RS. i need to beef up my judeans, i only have a herod aggirpa putrah.

 

I found this coin which was struck during the rule of Roman Procurator Porcius Festus in Judaea. I think it was during the time of Nero.

 

I learnt that all the coins that were used inside the Great temple of Solomon or for pure religious practices and necessities, had to be struck in the Mint of Tyre and not elsewhere. I don't know why.. Maybe because Tyre was on the border of Ancient Israel. Here's a coin struck in Tyre under Demetrius I, with the famous Palm branch or tree on the revers e.

 

A very nice coin, spork. The significance of this type is that it represents a break in the Roman Provincial prutoh. These coins have inscriptions in Paleo-Hebrew script that give the date and proclaim, "Freedom of Zion," a legend you certainly wouldn't find on a Roman coin. Here is my example - it is the scarcer Year Three variety...

First Jewish War, AD 66-70
AE Prutah, 17mm, 3g, 6h; Jerusalem, AD 68/9.
Obv.: שנת שלוש (Year Three); Amphora with broad, fringed rim and two handles.
Rev.: חרות ציונ (Freedom of Zion); Grape leaf on vine.
Reference: Hendin 1363.



On most centered examples, you can discern the majority of the inscriptions, although some letters will be cut off. These were struck on smaller flans than their Roman Provincial counterparts.

The obverse is read counter-clockwise from 5 o'clock, the reverse is read counter-clockwise from 11. However, on some some varieties the inscriptions start in different places.

I made this guide to the lettering, to facilitate reading the inscriptions. If you know what you're looking for, it's easier to tell the difference between letters and flan anomalies. On most examples, a few of the letters will be clear, others you will have to search for...