New Israeli coin with bad error

Hi error coin collectors, I'm a new kid on the block (not in numismatics - I'm an oldie collector since 1977), and wish to inform you of a 'bad' ('good' for collectors) error on a new Israeli coin.
The Bank of Israel (BOI) through the Israel Government Coins & Medals Corp. (IGCMC), recently issued a gold commem coin, 1 New Sheqel 2004/5764 'Jacob and Rachel', the smallest gold coin issued in Israel so far, 13.92 mm 1.24 gr.
Lo and behold, soon after the first coins were shipped out to IGCMC subscribers, an eagle-eyed collector with knowledge of written Arabic noticed that the letter A was missing from the word 'Israel' in Arabic on the coin's reverse. "ISRAIL" in correct Arabic had suddenly become "ISRIL". That's like the US Mint releasing a Texas State Quarter reading "TEXS". I think George W. wouldn't like that a bit...
Immediately after the discovery of this blunder, the Bank of Israel instructed the Royal Netherlands Mint in Utrecht to halt production forthwith, and recalled the error dies and the coins meanwhile minted. The sale of the error coins was suspended, and subscribers received a explanatory notice about the blunder, and notification about the impending issue of a new and corrected version, this time with our Country's name correctly spelled in Arabic.
Who is to blame for this oversight? This is not the first time an Israeli coin, banknote or token is issued with a serious error in it. Israel numismatic collectors will certainly be familiar with the Pick 49a "RARAV" error banknote, the KM-26 "FATCHA" error coin (again in Arabic...), and the IGCMC "SEASONS GREATINGS" error New Year token. The problem is, that all Israel coins and banknotes are minted resp. printed outside Israel (mostly in The Netherlands), and proof checking a coin or note before release must be done in Israel, considering that Dutch and Hebrew are not exactly sister languages. This time, also the tiny size of the coin may be to blame, as I needed a magnifier to see the error.
Few error coins were actually sold; the excact quantity is unknown at this time. I have a few of these error pieces, and those interested can email me for info on how to obtain one (as long as I have them). A few images of the error coin are available too; just drop me a line.

What a great hobby we have! Enjoy it as long as you can.

 

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how about posting a picture?

 

Right, here are some pics.

I'm new on this forum, so it took me some time to figure out how to add pics. But here they are. Note the 1/2 New Sheqel coin detail is for comparison purposes.
Enjoy!

 

Sure you're missing something...

It's the Arabic text, as I meticulously tried to explain. LOL

 

Hello Pinchas,

Welcome to this forum. I registered this forum a few days ago to try to get some more information about this error coin. I planned to ask you more about it when I received your shipment (not arrived yet). But now here you give almost all the answers. Just, when was it released and when was it withdrawn?
Regards,

Tom Vreeken, The Netherlands.

 

Info

Hello Tom,
As it was sent reg'd airmail, it can take some additional days, but in the end it gets there.
The error coin was issued late January to subscribers and dealers. I received my subscriber piece then. Some time towards end February the rumor started circulating among collectors at our local coin club, that some local dealers had been approached by the IGCMC about recalling error coins. One dealer, who is well acquainted with the IGCMC top brass, told me that someone had discovered in February that there is a letter missing from the coin.
The coin was never withdrawn, as this is a non-circulating commem. The only thing the IGCMC could do is to halt sales to subscribers who mailed their order forms late, halt the sales to dealers, stop selling these coins over the counter, and offer to exchange error coins for "good" ones (strange offer, though, considering that the error coins are worth much more that the soon-to-be-released "good" coins).
How rare these error coins really are, can be seen on the website of the top US dealer in Israel gold coins, Commem.com: http://www.commem.com/prod02a1.htm (one line from bottom).
He has all Israel gold coins since 1960, but not this one!
Interesting...!

 

"ISRAIL" in Arabic without first ALIF !!!

 

The first Aliph is there allright!

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It's the second Aliph in the middle that's missing. I put some pics in the gallery, with a correct trade coin for comparison purposes. Just look, compare and see for yourself. The Aliph looks like an <l> or <l> or the <|> sign. In the middle it's simply vanished, forgotton by the engraver, and not seen by scores of other people, before it was shipped out to collectors and dealers.

 

Error Correction: First Alif is "Hamzah" , second (Missing) | Alif without "Hamzah"... I am searching for this series including the little gold , 1.2441 Grams , 13.92 MM.

 

The error coin

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No buy, sell or trade postings [direct or indirect] are allowed outside the Open/Auction forums, subject to their special rules.

 

No longer available from the IGCMC

I have confirmed with the IGCMC that this coin has been pulled and no longer available directly from the Israeli Mint. With a possible mintage of 20,000 coins, I hear that only about 550 coins were sold before the "recall."

Happy Hunting!!!!!!

You can check out the official Israel Government Coins and Medals Corporation website at www.coins.co.il

Also, please join and become active in the American Israel Numismatic Association

 

Perhaps,the Israeli GCMC should release the error coins alongside the corrected coins.You should inform Krause about these coins.

Aidan.

 

No chance!

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They have recalled all error coins from their various stores and franchise outlets countrywide. According to unconfirmed reports and unconfirmed info received from the IGCMC by several collectors, only some 550 error coins hit the market, almost all in the hands of collectors inside Israel.
Meanwhile the corrected coins have arrived from Utrecht (Royal Netherlands Mint), and distribution to the IGCMC stores will begin these days. I'll be one of the first collectors to get my copy, so I'll have a "set".
Krause will be informed by the Bank of Israel and the IGCMC directly, as customary, also about errors, varieties or breakdown of mintages per mint.
I'm contemplating writing an article about this error in ANA's The Numismatist, and also locally in the Hebrew-language journal of the Israel Numismatic Collectors Assoc.

 

Write the article....

It can't hurt to submit it to "THE SHEKEL" as well.... Your have had articles in "THE SHEKEL" in the past as well and this sounds a little more lively than some of their more recent articles.


btw...if anyone is interested in joining "AMERICAN ISRAEL NUMISMATIC ASSOCIATION", join today. It is inexpensive and includes an annual subscription to "THE SHEKEL." They can also use some new numismatists in their aging midst.

Write away...

 

To Pinchas: Thanks For The Information And

thanks also for the pictures. I am happy to have such error gold coin 1 sheqel 2004 since yesterday...

 

"Jacob and Rachel" error coin now replaced by a corrected version!

An update on the "Jacob and Rachel" Israeli error coin:
The new and corrected version, with the Arabic letter 'A' duly installed, has now been released by the IGCMC. Hence, both the error coin and the corrected coin now exist side by side.
I installed a special webpage on my commercial webside HERE, with detailed mages of the error variety and its corrected counterpart. This is not an invitation to buy the coin(s), just to show the difference between both varieties.
Total mintage of the error variety (unconfirmed by the IGCMC, but told by their officials to several collectors and dealers): 650-680 error coins.
A very expensive error!

 

A Source In The Web Estimates: 700 Error Pieces

A MERCHANT IN TEL AVIV (LIDERMAN , 18 BEN YEHUDA ST.) TOLD: 680 - 690 ERROR PICTURES. THE CORRECTION : FULL "ISRAIL" HAS TWO YEARS OF ISSUE: 2003 / 5763 (I SAW IT) AND 2004...

 

What do you mean? Do some of the coins have a 2003 date as well? What is going on?

 

"jacob And Rachel" 2003 / 5763 English Advertisment

WITH PICTURES, BY THE "ISRAELI MEDALS CO."

http://www.commem.com/prod06h.htm

VALUES : 1 , 2 SHEQELS (SILVER) , 10 SHEQELS (GOLD)

THE ADVERTISMENT OF "SEPTEMBER 2003" COIN

1 GOLD SHEQEL, 13.92 MM WEIGHT 1.244 G , 999 / 1000

http://www.isragift.co.il/asp/prod_info_heb.asp?prodID=31553140&lang=eng

SORRY FOR NOT HAVING A TRANSLATION FROM HEBREW, BUT ONLE THE OBVERSE IS SHOWN (MUCH ENLARGED)... SO THE REVERSE IS UNKNOWN... AND THE ADVERTISMENT DOES NOT TELL THE DATE OF THE COIN, AND REFER TO "SEPTEMBER 2003" AS THE TIME OF ISSUE TO THE PUBLIC.