14C084
JEWISH WAR
AR Shekel (13.13gm) Year 5, March/April-August 70 C.E.

"Shekel of Israel," chalice / "Jerusalem the Holy," stem with three fruit. Kadman pl. 3, 45 (same dies). TJC 215. Hendin 671.

Extremely Rare.

The last year of the Jewish War lasted only four months. During this time, Titus and his army besieged Jerusalem, breached the city's outer wall, and attempted to penetrate the inner wall. The trapped inhabitants suffered terribly from famine, disease, and the violent clashes of the Jewish factions. The inner city finally fell and in early August of 70 C.E. the Temple was burned to the ground, its sacred vessels seized and carried off to Rome. Even amid these disasters a few survivors managed to escape to Masada, carrying with them Year 5 shekels that were discovered in the Masada excavations of the twentieth century. Coin production for Year 5 was naturally very low, resulting from the Zealots' control of the mint as well as the early fall of the Temple. Goldstein and Fontanille report only nine Year 5 shekels of the regular, refined style of the Temple mint. Of these, at least three are in public collections in Israel.
The regular Year 5 shekels were struck from three obverse dies. Our shekel is from obverse die O1 on the Menorah Coin Project website. Other examples from the same die pair include the Bromberg and Reifenberg specimen (Bromberg sale II, lot 389), the Brand specimen (Brand Sale 3, lot 148), and the museum specimen illustrated by Kadman pl. 3, 45. Ex private European collection.

Catalogue XIV

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