Biblical & Jewish Coins
Lot 3555 Session 12 (11.30am Thursday) Biblical & Jewish Coins
Estimate $250
Bid at live.noble.com.au
PALESTINE, Judaea, Hasmonean king Mattathias Antigonus, (40-37 B.C.), AE 19, copper multiple (four) prutah, (8.27 grams), obv. single cornucopiae, inscription, 'Mattatayah the high priest', rev. wreath with partial inscription within **[BASILEOS ANTIGONOU]*, (S.6105, H.482 (35), AJC I V var. pl.54, Meshorer 31). Off centred on the reverse, otherwise very fine and rare in this condition.
The use by Antigonus of the priestly title in Hebrew on the obverse of this coin is significant. His enemy, Herod, could not adopt this title, and could only employ the international language, Greek, in the inscription (Money) of King Herod. The propaganda value of such weighty coins could well have been a chief raison d'etre for Antigonus striking them. In comparison, the coinage of Herod was thinner. It is possible that a shrewd Herod struck lighter coins of a larger diameter to fool the public.
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Adjacent lots
Lot 3553
PHOENICIA-SAMARIA, local Athenian imitations (c.375-346 B.C.), silver hemiobol, (0.316 grams), probably struck at Gaza, obv. ...
Estimate $100
Lot 3554
PALESTINE, Judaea, John Hyrcanus I (Yehohanan), (134-104 B.C.), copper prutah, (1.70, 1.96, 2.31, grams), obv. ...
Estimate $120
Lot 3555 This lot
PALESTINE, Judaea, Hasmonean king Mattathias Antigonus, (40-37 B.C.), AE 19, copper multiple (four) prutah, (8.27 ...
Estimate $250
Lot 3556
PALESTINE, Roman Procurator of Judaea, Pontius Pilate, under Tiberius, (A.D. 26-36), copper prutah, (2.30 grams), ...
Estimate $120
Lot 3557
PALESTINE, Roman Procurator of Judaea, Pontius Pilate, under Tiberius, (A.D. 26-36), copper prutah, (2.29 grams), ...
Estimate $120