Catalog - Catalog 334

Alexander Jannaeus, 104-76 BCE. Pb-Prutah. Jerusalem; 6,03 g.

ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ([coin of the] king Alexander) around an anchor within a circle//MLK’ ’LKSNDRWS ([coin of the] king Alexander) in Aramaic with a circle of dots. Hendin no. 1155; Meshorer, Treasury 211 Group M.

Reverse struck off-centre, fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 25.

Alexander Jannaeus, 104-76 BCE. Pb-Prutah, Jerusalem; 3,74 g.

ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ([coin of the] king Alexander) around an anchor within a circle//MLK’ ’LKSNDRWS ([coin of the] king Alexander) in Aramaic with a circle of dots. Hendin no. 1155; Meshorer, Treasury 211 Group M.

Small flan, reverse struck off-centre, good fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 27.

Mattathias Antigonus, 40-37 BCE. Æ-8 Prutot, Jersualem; 14,12 g.

MTTYH HKHN HGDL W??R HYHWDYM (Mattathias the High Priest and the Jews’ Council) around and between double cornucopia//BACIΛΕΩC ANTIΓΟΝΟΥ ([coin of the] king Antigonus) around an ivy wreath with ribbons. Hendin no. 1162; Meshorer, Treasury 218 no. 36.

Rev. struck off-centre, very fine/fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 71.

Mattathias Antigonus, 40-37 BCE. Æ-8 Prutot, Jerusalem; 15,22 g.

MTTYH HKHN HGDL W??R HYHWDYM (Mattathias the High Priest and the Jews’ Council) around and between double cornucopia//BACIΛΕΩC ANTIΓΟΝΟΥ ([coin of the] king Antigonus) around an ivy wreath with ribbons. Hendin no. 1162; Meshorer, Treasury 218 no. 36.

Partially weakly struck, good fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 72.

Mattathias Antigonus, 40-37 BCE. Æ-4 Prutot, Jerusalem; 7,75 g.

MTTYH HKHN GDL (Mattathias the High Priest) around a cornucopia//BACIΛΕΩC ANTIΓΟΝΟΥ ([coin of the] king Antigonus) within an ivy wreath with ribbons. Hendin no. 1163; Meshorer, Treasury 219 no. 37.

Very fine

Overbeck – Meshorer no. 73.

ex Sternberg 6, Zurich 1976, no. 283.

Mattathias Antigonus, 40-37 BCE. Æ-4 Prutot, Jerusalem; 7,29 g.

MTTYH HKHN GDL (Mattathias the High Priest) around a cornucopia//BACIΛΕΩC ANTIΓΟΝΟΥ ([coin of the] king Antigonus) within an ivy wreath with ribbons. Hendin no. 1163; Meshorer, Treasury 219 no. 37.

Very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 74.

Mattathias Antigonus, 40-37 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 2,18 g.

MTT / YH (Mattathias) within a wreath//Double cornucopia, between it ear of corn. Hendin no. 1164; Meshorer, Treasury 220 no. 40.

Very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 76.

Mattathias Antigonus, 40-37 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 1,84 g.

MTT / YH (Mattathias) within a wreath//Double cornucopia, between it ear of corn. Hendin no. 1164; Meshorer, Treasury 220 no. 40.

Good fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 77.

Mattathias Antigonus, 40-37 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 2,33 g.

MTTYH HKHN (Mattathias the Priest) within a wreath//Double cornucopia adorned with ribbons, between it pomegranate. Hendin 1166; Meshorer, Treasury 220 no. 38.

Fine/Very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 75.

Mattathias Antigonus, 40-37 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 1,17 g.

Traces of the palaeo-Hebrew inscription MTTYH KHN GDL (Mattathias the High Priest) around the Show-bread table (without breads)//Traces of the Greek Inscription BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΟΥ ([Coin] of the king Antigonos) around the Menorah. Hendin no. 1168; Meshorer, Treasury 220 no. 41.

Extremely rare. Very fine

Overbeck – Meshorer no. 78.

There is some disagreement as to whether these coins were minted at the beginning or at the end of Mattathias's reign, cf. I. Goldstein - J.-Ph. Fontanille, The Small Denominations of Mattathias Antigonus: Die Classification and Interpretations, INR 8, 2013, 55-71. For the symbolic meaning of the Menorah cf. Romanoff, Jewish Symbols on Ancient Jewish Coins, New York 1944 (1971), 33-37; J. Voß, Die Menora. Gestalt und Funktion des Leuchters im Tempel zu Jerusalem, Freiburg (CH)/Göttingen 1993, 69.

Herod the Great, 40/37-4 BCE, Æ-8 Prutot, year 3 = 40 BCE, Samaria; 5,8 g.

Helmet with cheek pieces, star on the top and two strips (of a diadem) hanging down in frontal view, flanked by palm fronds//HPΩΔΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ around tripod with vessel (lebes), in the l. field L Γ, in the r. field monogram (XP or TR). Hendin no. 1169; Lykke 237 fig. 35; Meshorer, Treasury 221 no. 44.

Very fine

Overbeck – Meshorer no. 79.

Lykke 67-71 does not accept the commonly heard identification of this helmet which is adorned with a star with a pilos, the famous cap of the Dioscuri, also decorated with a star on its top. She rather thinks that we are shown Herod’s personal helmet and that Herod wanted to insert himself into the tradition of Alexander and the Hellenistic kings who presented themselves helmeted or had their helmets depicted on coins. This may be right, but we should also consider that this helmet may be King David’s famous helmet that could have the symbolic power to awaken ideas of a new Jewish Empire. Cf. D.J. Jacobson, Military Helmet or Dioscuri Motif on Herod the Great's Largest Coin?, INR 2, 2007, 93-101.

Herod the Great, 40/37-4 BCE, Æ-8 Prutot, year 3 = 40 BCE, Samaria; 4,45 g.

Helmet with cheek pieces, star on the top and two strips (of a diadem) hanging down in frontal view, flanked by palm fronds//HPΩΔΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ around tripod with vessel (lebes), in the l. field L Γ, in the r. field monogram (XP or TR). Hendin no. 1169; Lykke 237 fig. 35; Meshorer, Treasury 221 no. 44.

Very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 80.

Herod the Great, 40/37-4 BCE, Æ-8 Prutot, year 3 = 40 BCE, Samaria; 9,66 g.

Helmet with cheek pieces, star on the top and two strips (of a diadem) hanging down in frontal view, flanked by palm fronds//HPΩΔΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ around tripod with vessel (lebes), in the l. field L Γ, in the r. field monogram (XP or TR). Hendin no. 1169; Lykke 237 fig. 35; Meshorer, Treasury 221 no. 44.

Broad flan, double struck, very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 81.

Herod the Great, 40/37-4 BCE, Æ-4 Prutot, year 3 = 40 BCE, Samaria; 4,36 g.

Macedonian shield//HPΩΔΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ around helmet with cheek protection and plume; in the l. field L Γ, in the r. field monogram (XP or TR). Hendin no. 1170; Lykke 237 fig. 36; Meshorer, Treasury 221 no. 45.

Slightly corroded, good fine

Overbeck – Meshorer no. 82.

For the Macedonian shield cf. K. Liampi, Der makedonische Schild, Bonn 1998.

Herod the Great, 40/37-4 BCE, Æ-4 Prutot, year 3 = 40 BCE, Samaria; 4,14 g.

Macedonian shield//HPΩΔΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ around helmet with cheek protection and plume; in the l. field L Γ, in the r. field monogram (XP or TR). Hendin no. 1170; Lykke 237 fig. 36; Meshorer, Treasury 221 no. 45.

Slightly corroded, good fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 83.

Herod the Great, 40/37-4 BCE, Æ-Double Prutah, year 3 = 40 BCE, Samaria; 2,9 g.

Poppy head (or pomegranate?)//HPΩΔΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ around winged caduceus. Hendin no. 1171; Lykke 237 fig. 37; Meshorer, Treasury 221 no. 46.

Nearly very fine

Overbeck - Meshorer no. 84.

Neither the identification of the plant alluded to on the obv. nor its exact meaning is clear. There is some reason to believe that the plant, whether it is identified as a poppy capsule or a pomegranate, may have to do with a Samarian cult in honour of Demeter and Persephone; cf. the discussion of Lykke 60-63.

Herod the Great, 40/37-4 BCE, Æ-Prutah, year 3 = 40 BCE, Samaria; 2,74 g.

A palm frond adorned with a ribbon//HPΩΔΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ around an aphlaston, in the l. field L Γ, in the r. field monogram (XP or TR). Hendin no. 1172; Lykke 237, fig. 38; Meshorer, Treasury 221 no. 47.

Very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 85.

Herod the Great, 40/37-4 BCE, Æ-Prutah, 37-4 BCE, Jerusalem; 1,39 g.

Anchor within a wreath//BACIΛ?ΩC HPΩ in uneven lines. Hendin no. 1174; Lykke 239 fig. 45; Meshorer, Treasury 223 no. 61.

Very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 104.

Herod the Great, 40/37-4 BCE, Æ-Prutah, 37-4 BCE, Jerusalem; 1,14 g.

Anchor within a wreath//BACIΛ?ΩC HPΩ in uneven lines. Hendin no. 1174; Lykke 239 fig. 45; Meshorer, Treasury 223 no. 61.

Nearly very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 105.