Rare "graven image" half-prutah of Herod the Great depicting Eagle (and featured on RPC Online)

Purchased this one recently from Forum Ancient Coins. Though it may not look it, it is actually one of the better struck specimens of this rare type I've encountered. From the James Knox Collection of Biblical coins, and ex Marc Breitsprecher c. 2010.

This coin is also now the featured specimen of the type on RPC Online.

RPC I, 4909

HEROD I, 40-4 BC
AE Half-prutah (15.0mm, 1.11g 12h)
Struck c. 22-12 BC. Jerusalem mint
Obverse: Eagle standing right, pellet behind
Reverse: BACIΛ HPWΔ, cornucopia
References: RPC I 4909 (this coin featured); Hendin 6221

Acquired from FORVM Ancient Coins, 2025. From the James Knox Collection of Biblical coins. Ex Marc Breitsprecher, 2010.

Light earthen patina, well struck for issue, good details, reverse off center. A rare and unusual type, thought to be a representation of the golden eagle which Herod I (the Great) had erected over the Temple gate in Jerusalem. This blatant violation of the Mosaic injunction against graven images outraged the religious sensibilities of Herod’s Jewish subjects, and the statue was torn down and destroyed by an angry mob. In a rage, Herod had the leaders of the rebellion arrested and burned alive, and all the other participants were executed.​

 

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Nice specimen @The Meat man! Congrats! It's one of my favorite Herodian types. Unfortunately extant examples are usually significantly off-center and include minimal letters of the legend. I'm almost anal about having the ability to read the ruler's name on ancients I add to my collection. Mine is missing one letter (the very end of Herod's "king" title), but it has all 4 letters of Herod's name. Interestingly, mine and the OP example are near identical in size and weight (mine being 14.9 mm and 1.13 g.).

Note: David Hendin and J.P. Fontanille have determined the cornucopia was the obverse die and the eagle was the reverse die.

Below is a side-by-side orange-highlighted emphasis of the legend:

 

Thanks Philologus! I really like that squared flan of yours - and perfectly centered too.
Thanks also for the info about obverse/reverse. I'll have to adjust my photo composition.