Hello all... I am new to this site and I am wondering if someone can help me identify this old coin that my mother has... I have kind of looked through the forums and I realize that there is probably very little to no monetary value to the coin but we just kind of want to know what it is and a little about it... but of course I won't object if it does have some value to it. Here are pictures of the front and back, they are about the size of a penny maybe a bit bigger. Thanks for any info!
Well, the word to the left of the palm tree is shalom. =p That's about all I can help you out with though, sorry. Nice coin!
Well, its not machine struck, at least. Therefor, its either ancient or a modern repro. Though I do work with a lot of ancients, I have absolutely no experience with Jewish coins. My apologies. :-/
I think its a replica of an an ancient JUDAEA Bar Kochba Revolt AE coin. The theme is the palm tree and the grapes. Modern israeli coins use the themes used on these ancient coins. I dont think this coin is genuine by style of inscription and general over all style and look. I am not an expert though... Modern coins from israel using the same theme:
Hey thanks for the feedback... I was kind of leaning towards it being an Israeli coin but I had no idea for exactly what it would be. Drusus, out of curiosity.. what would be the main reason for making a replica of one of these coins? It certainly looks way different from the pictures you put up esp. the grapes on my coin look very... bad. If you promise not to laugh I was almost convinced it was an ear of corn and not grapes... lol. Which is why I photographed it upside down Anyways, thanks again... I am about to call my mom and tell her I found something out about it. She'll be excited even though it is only a replica.
Replicas are generally made for one of two reasons: for sale to tourists as souveniers, or to fool collectors. I think this one leans closer to the first category.
I would say if it is a replica, which I am pretty sure it is...its probably for selling to tourist in israel. They would make it because it is an important jewish historical coin theme. The bar kokhba revolt (also known as the second jewish-roman war or Jewish revolt)...named after the jewish commander Simon Bar Kokhba is important because of the destruction of Jerusalem and after this revolt, some might say the jewish death toll and disipation of much of the Judean population began the long Jewish diaspora. It meant the end of Judea as a state and a change to the name Syria Palaestina and serious persecution of jews, thousands killed, towns and temples destroyed...and the talmud outlawed. This was the second revolt...the Romans didnt want a third.
Ah.. thanks for the clarification... my mom found it in a jar of pennies about two years ago and never knew what it was so she left it up to her technologically advanced daughter to find out for her lol.
