The following coin is a Prutah which was struck at Sepphoris in Galilee. Formerly known as Diocaesarea, the village of Sepphoris lies only 4 miles away to the North of Nazareth. It is believed that Mary, mother of Jesus was born in that village. In Arabic, it was named Saffuriyah. Today, it's renown for its historical sites. The coin was issued during the time of Porcius Festus who was then a procurator under Roman Emperor NERO. It weighs 1.56 g. Hendin 653. Please post your coins from GALILEE.
Nice coin and informative write-up from an interesting part of the world. This gives me an excuse to post my only Sepphoris. Despite a lot of problems, I really like this one - or at least I really like the reverse. Trajan Æ 25 (98-117 A.D.) Sepphoris, Galilaea, [ΤΡ]ΑΙΑΝΟΣ ΑΥΤΟ[ΚΡΑΤΩΡ ЄΔΩΚЄΝ], laureate head right / ΣЄΠΦΩ-ΡΗΝΩΝ in two lines within wreath. RPC III, 3936; BMC1.Ros.3; Hendin 906. (13.76 grams / 25 mm) "This coin bears the remarkable inscription ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟΣ ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΩΡ ЄΔΩΚЄΝ ('Trajan the Emperor gave') which suggests Trajan awarded something to the city....various numismatists have argued that it was the permission to strike coins (see RPC I p. 510). Indeed, no coinage was made at Sepphoris during the Flavian period." (Roma Numismatics)
JUDAEA, Procurators. Porcius Festus. 58/59-62/63 CE. Æ Prutah (2.64 gm). Year 5. NEP/WNO/C, legend within wreath / KAIC-APOC, (ΛE), palm. AJC II Supp. V, 35; Hendin 653.
Here's one from my collection, but Hendin attributes it to Caesarea, not Diocaesarea. Caesarea was a much bigger city and where the Procurators actually lived. Porcius Festus, Procurator under Nero, AD 59-62. Judean Æ Prutah, 2.51 g, 16.2 mm. Caesarea mint, AD 58-59. Obv: NЄPѠNOC in 3 lines, surrounded by wreath. Rev: Palm branch surrounded by KAICAPOC, LЄ (year 5). Refs: Hendin 653; Meshorer TJC 345.
Very nice coins!.....I do like this series of coins....Excuse my ignorance here but a few months ago I was looking through different procurators just trying to get a feel of price versus detail and basically what was available. Quickly realised that any coin referencing Pontius pilate was incredibly more expensive.....Is this due to rarity of coinage or purely his infamous name?
cool coin I have none from the Galilee but here is my favorite from the "West Bank" with a Hendin provenance: City Coins of Judaea Neapolis Faustina II AD Bronze (27 mm ; 12.98 gm) ex David Hendin with his flip tag. The Biblical Shechemis, the site of Joseph's Tomb and Jacob's well. Now Nablus, Israel Obv: Draped bust of Faustina II , right Rev: Tyche standing half-left, holding rudder and cornucopiae. Hendin 880
