Catalog

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 2,02 g.

A (Greek letter) above the paleo-Hebrew inscription YHW?NN HKHN HGDL W??R HYHWDYM (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Jews’ Council) within a wreath//Two cornucopiae, between them a pomegranate. Hendin no. 1132; Meshorer, Treasury 201 Group A.

Nearly very fine

Overbeck – Meshorer no. 50.

For the meaning of the wreaths which frequently appear on coins of John Hyrcanus I cf. I. Noy, The Victory wreath of Hyrcanus I., INR 7, 2012, 31-42; id., Head Decoration Representations on Images du pouvoir et fonctions des souverains Hasmonéens, Revue Biblique 2009, 368-386, esp. 374 on the two cornucopiae with a pomegranate: 'Il s'agit d'un symbole de prospérité et de fertilité agricole, associé au souverain, pour signifier que celui-ci est la garant du bien-être de son peuple.'

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 2,11 g.

A (Greek letter) above the paleo-Hebrew inscription YHW?NN HKHN HGDL W??R HYHWDYM (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Jews’ Council) within a wreath//Two cornucopiae, between them a pomegranate. Hendin no. 1132; Meshorer, Treasury 201 Group A.

Nearly very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 51.

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 1,93 g.

A (Greek letter) above the paleo-Hebrew inscription YHW?NN HKHN HGDL W??R HYHWDYM (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Jews’ Council) within a wreath//Two cornucopiae, between them a pomegranate. Hendin no. 1132; Meshorer, Treasury 201 Group A.

Reverse off-centre, nearly very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 52.

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 1,72 g.

A (Greek letter) above the paleo-Hebrew inscription YHW?NN HKHN HGDL W??R HYHWDYM (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Jews’ Council) within a wreath//Two cornucopiae, between them a pomegranate. Hendin no. 1132; Meshorer, Treasury 201 Group A.

Nearly very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 53.

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 1,74 g.

YHW?NN HKHN HGDL W??R HYHWDYM (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Jews’ Council) within a wreath//Two cornucopiae, between them a pomegranate; A in the l. field, Π in the r. field. Hendin no. 1133 note; Meshorer, Treasury 202 Group B.

Nearly very fine

Overbeck – Meshorer no. 54.

There are various widely differing proposals how to explain the Greek characters A and Π; they are discussed by Hendin p. 164; cf. also D.M. Jacobson, The Significance of the Caduceus between facing Cornucopias in Herodian and Roman Coinage, in: id. - N. Kokkinos (ed.), Judaea and Rome in Coins 65 BCE-135 CE. Papers Presented at the International Conference Hosted by Spink, 13th-14th September 2010, London 2012, 145-162, esp. 146-148. In my eyes the most simple explanation is to assume that Greek supervisors of the mint have perpetuated the initials of their names on these coins.

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 2,21 g.

YHW?NN HKHN HGDL W??R HYHWDYM (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Jews’ Council) within a wreath//Two cornucopiae, between them a pomegranate; Λ = A in the l. field. Hendin no. 1133 note; Meshorer, Treasury 202 Group B.

Very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 55.

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 2,66 g.

YHW?NN HKHN HGDL W??R HYHWDYM (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Jews’ Council) within a wreath//Two cornucopiae, between them a pomegranate; Λ = A in the r. field. Hendin no. 1133 note; Meshorer, Treasury 202 Group B.

Fine/very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 56.

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 1,53 g.

YHW?NN HKHN HGDL W??R HYHWDYM (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Jews’ Council) within a wreath//Two cornucopiae, between them a pomegranate; monogram of A and Π in the l. field. Hendin no. 1133b; Meshorer, Treasury 202 Group B.

Nearly very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 57.

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 2,32 g.

YHW?NN HKHN HGDL W??R HYHWDYM (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Jews’ Council) within a wreath//Two cornucopiae, between them a pomegranate; monogram of A and Π in the l. field. Hendin no. 1133b; Meshorer, Treasury 202 Group B.

Very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 58.

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 2,06 g.

YHW?NN HKHN HGDL W??R HYHWDYM (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Jews’ Council) within a wreath//Two cornucopiae, between them a pomegranate; Π in the l. field. Hendin no. 1133b; Meshorer, Treasury 202 Group B.

Very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 59.

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Half-Prutah, Jerusalem; 1,11 g.

YHW?NN HKHN HGDL above a palm frond, W??R HYHWDYM below it (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Jews’ Council)//A blossom of a lily flanked by two ears of grain, A in the l. field. Hendin no. 1134; Meshorer, Treasury 203 Group C.

Nearly very fine

Overbeck – Meshorer no. 60.

Cf. Lykke 44, who falling back on Romanoff 50 f. discusses the problem whether the depicted flower is to be identified with a lily or a rose. At any rate, the representation of the lily seems to be influenced by Rhodian coins which show a rose. For the meaning of the lily cf. Romanoff 45-51 and Lykke 45 f. who characterises the symbol's development from a 'sign of Judaea and Jerusalem' to a 'central image ... within Jewish coin iconography'. It may be sufficient to cite verse 14.6 from the Book of Hosea: 'I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.' 

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Half-Prutah, Jerusalem; 0,99 g.

YHW?NN HKHN HGDL above a palm frond, W??R HYHWDYM below it (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Jews’ Council)//A blossom of a lily flanked by two ears of grain, A in the l. field. Hendin no. 1134; Meshorer, Treasury 203 Group C.

Good fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 61.

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Half-Prutah, Jerusalem; 0,78 g.

YHW?NN HKHN HGDL above a palm frond, W??R HYHWDYM below it (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Jews’ Council)//A blossom of a lily flanked by two ears of grain. Hendin no. 1134a; Meshorer, Treasury 203 Group C.

Good fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 62.

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Half-Prutah, Jerusalem; 0,96 g.

YHW?NN HKHN HGDL above a palm frond, W??R HYHWDYM below it (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Jews’ Council)//A blossom of a lily flanked by two ears of grain. Hendin no. 1134a; Meshorer, Treasury 203 Group C.

Good fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 63.

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 1,9 g.

YHW?NN HKHN HGDL W??R HYDM (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Jews’ Council) written in wedge style characters within a wreath//Two cornucopiae, between them a pomegranate. Hendin no. 1135; Meshorer, Treasury 203 f. Group D (schematic style).

Good fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 64.

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 2,37 g.

YHW?NN HKHN HGDL W??R HYDM (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Jews’ Council) written in wedge style characters within a wreath//Two cornucopiae, between them a pomegranate; monogram of A and Π in the l. field. Hendin no. 1135; Meshorer, Treasury 203 f. Group D (schematic style).

Very fine

Overbeck – Meshorer no. 65.

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Æ-Double Prutah, Jerusalem (Samaria?); 4,5 g.

YHW?NN HKHN HGDL R’Š ??R HYHWDYM (Yehohanan the High Priest and head of the Jews’ Council) around two slightly overlaid cornucopiae adorned with ribbons//A Macedonian helmet with a conspicuous crest and cheek guards to r., in the lower l. field the Greek character Δ is visible. Hendin no. 1136; Meshorer, Treasury 207 Group H.

An extremely rare coin in an extraordinary beautiful state of preservation. Fine/very fine

Overbeck – Meshorer no. 67.

Cf. Meshorer, Treasury 36, where he characterised the helmet as a symbol of leadership and authority and asked the question whether it had to do with John’s new title of R’Š ??R HYHWDYM. Ch.-G. Schwentzel, Images du pouvoir et fonctions des souverains Hasmonéens, Revue Biblique 2009, 368-386, esp. 371 f. may be right, when he underlines that the helmet should be interpreted as a reference to the modern hellenistic weaponry of John’s Jewish army and to the king’s successful expansion that made him into a new David whose identification mark was the helmet. We may assume that this coin is a 'historical coin' minted for a specific event in John’s life.

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 2,53 g.

YHW?NN HKHN HGDL R’Š ??R HYHWDYM (Yehohanan the High Priest and head of the Jews’ Council) within a wreath//Two cornucopiae, between them a pomegranate; A in the r. field. Hendin no. 1137; Meshorer, Treasury 207 f. Group I.

Very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 68.

John Hyrcanus I, 135-104 BCE. Æ-Prutah, Jerusalem; 2,52 g.

YHW?NN HKHN HGDL R’Š ??R HYHWDYM (Yehohanan the High Priest and head of the Jews’ Council) within a wreath//Two cornucopiae, between them a pomegranate; Δ in the r. field. Hendin no. 1137; Meshorer, Treasury 207 f. Group I.

Broad flan, perfectly centered, nearly very fine Overbeck – Meshorer no. 69.