Lot 37
Judaea, The Jewish War. Æ Prutah (1.96 g), 66-70 CE. Jerusalem, year 2 (67/8 CE). 'Year two' (Paleo Hebrew), amphora with broad rim and two handles. Rev. 'The freedom of Zion' (Paleo-Hebrew), vine leaf on small branch with tendril. (TJC 198; Hendin 1360b). Dark brown patina with light sandy highlights. Extremely fine. Estimate $150UP
Purchased privately from H. Kriendler, October 1987.
Like many of the prutot struck for Judaea under the Roman administration and the Herodian and Hasmonean dynasties, the prutot of the Jewish War were struck on a large scale. Even so we must keep in mind that the "mint" in an ancient society was nothing like the modern factory style mint we understand today. Ancient mints may have been small and with only a few employees. There is evidence that ancient mints produced coins only periodically, and for this reason it is quite likely at some times and in some geographic areas where there was a shortage of small money, irregular issues, such as this coin, were manufactured. The irregular issues were, quite simply, irregular in their manufacture, their design, their legends, and their metallurgy. Irregular coins during the Jewish War were likely made at multiple locations. One thing we definitely know about these irregular coins is that archaeological evidence proves that they were used side-by-side and apparently without discrimination between the regular issues. In this respect they may be considered similar to the Hard Times tokens of the United States or the Condor tokens of England.
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| Realized $944 |
