Four New Jewish Lead Coins or Tokens more

OFFPRINT FROM THE ISRAEL NUMISMATIC JOURNAL VOL. 13, 1994-99 Four New Jewish Lead Coins or Tokens DAVID HENDIN The first publication of Jewish lead coins was by F. de Saulcy in 1871.1 He described two lead coins of Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 B.C.), bearing an anchor within a broad circle on the obverse and traces of a Hebrew legend in three lines on the reverse. A. Kindler published in his first article, published in 1948, three further specimens of the same type.2 The type has been studied repeatedly since 1967 by Y. Meshorer and other scholars.3 D. Barag discussed this series and second century B.C. lead coins of the Ptolemies and Antiochus VII, as well as a Proto-Nabatean example and one from Ascalon.4 A. Houghton published late Seleucid lead issues of Antiochus viii (121-ca. 97 B.C.) and Demetrius iii (96/5-88/7 B.C.).5 Four further types of Jewish lead coins or tokens, discovered during the past ten years in the Jerusalem markets, are the subject of this account.6 Type 1 1. Pb.; 11-12.5 mm.; 0.84 gr.; (PI. 8:1). Obv.: Anchor with single crossbar at top and large central pellet, within a circle. No inscription visible. Rev. : Star with eight (?) rays within a border of dots. No inscription visible. The similarity of this lead coin to the common, well-known half-prutah of Alexander 1 F. de Saulcy: Catalogue raisonn6 de monnaies judaiques recuilles a J6rusalem en novembre 1869, JVC, 1871, pp. 239-240. 2 A. Kindler: Jewish Lead Coins, Bulletin of the Jewish Palestine Exploration Society 14(1948), pp. 38-40 (Hebrew). 3 y. Meshorer: Jewish Coins of the Second Temple Period, Tel Aviv, 1967, pp. 56-57, 118, No. 7A. 4 D. Barag: Some Examples of Lead Currency from the Hellenistic Period, A. Houghton et al. (eds.), Studies in Honor of Leo Mildenberg, Wetteren, 1984, pp. 1-5, PI. 3. See also Meshorer: AJC I, pp. 82-83, mentioning two additional examples from North Africa. 5 A. Houghton: Two Late Seleucid Lead Issues from the Levant, INJ11 (1990-91), pp. 26-31, PI. 5. 6 Numerous lead coins or tokens have also been discovered in the excavations at Mt. Gerizim. One of the types has an obverse similar to our Type 3. These finds were brought to my attention by Mr. H. Gitler of the Israel Museum during a conversation that preceded the completion of this article. I am indebted to Ms. G. Bijovsky of the Israel Antiquities Authority for permission to mention this find before the publication of her report. 64 DAVID HENDIN Jannaeus is apparent.7 Unlike the typical Jannaeus bronze coins, however, this speci- men shows no trace of either Greek or Aramaic letters. Is this, possibly, atrial-strike or prototype coin struck from lead? Or is it the first known example of a further lead coin series of Jannaeus? The common lead coins of Jannaeus, discussed above, and the new types 1 and 2 suggest that the issue of lead coins, late in the reign of Jannaeus, was not a mere coincidence. Type 2 2. Pb.; 12-13.5 mm.; 1.12 gr.; (PI. 8:2). Obv.: Star with six rays within a circle. The rays alternate with six dots around a central dot. Rev.: Blank. 3. Pb., 12-13 mm.; 0.9 gr.; (PI. 8:3, 3a) Like No. 2. The similarity between this design and the star-within-diadem type on the coins of Alexander Jannaeus is noticeable, particularly in the Cb series, according to the classification of Y. Meshorer.8 Nos. 2-3 were discovered while examining an accumu- lation of several thousand prutot and half-prutot of Jannaeus, acquired in the Jerusa- lem marketplace in the 1980s. No. 1 was detected in Jerusalem recently. Based on the typological similarity to the coins of Jannaeus and on the provenance, it seems clear that types 1 and 2 were almost certainly struck under Alexander Jannaeus. Type 3 4. Pb.; 13.5 mm.; 1.28 gr.; (PI. 8:4, 4a). Obv.: Double cornucopiae with a rod set between the horns, all within a circle surrounded by a border of dots. Rev.: Stylized palm tree that appears to be set between two blooming lily flowers. 5. Pb.; 12 mm.; 1.65 gr.; (PI. 8:5) Like No. 4. Both of these pieces were struck using the same dies. The fact that the die axis is identical indicates that they were struck from fixed dies in an organized minting operation. The similarities between the type 3 pieces and Hasmonean and Herodian coins depicting double cornucopiae are obvious. The style of the obverse of these two pieces seems, however, closer to the coins of king Herod and Herod Archelaus than to Hasmonean examples, and it is not at all clear, therefore, whether this issue was struck 7 Meshorer, AJC I, p. 122, Cel-Ce6. 8 Meshorer, AJC I, p. 120, Pis. 5-6. JEWISH LEAD COINS OR TOKENS 65 under Hasmonean or Herodian rule. The lilies on the reverse of this type are vaguely reminiscent of the lily-flower motif on the reverse of some prutot struck under Alexander Jannaeus.9 Coins Nos. 3 and 4 were purchased from Jerusalem dealers as single items several years apart. Both dealers stated, however, that these coins were "found among prutot." Type 4 6. Pb.; 19 mm.; 2.8 gr.; (PI. 8:6, 6a). Obv.: Double cornucopiae with a palm tree set between the horns; the Palaeo- Hebrew letter "yod" above; surrounded by a solid circle. Rev.: The condition is very poor; however, the Palaeo-Hebrew letter "yod" appears to be clear on the right. This piece is in poor condition, with about 25% missing and a crack through the center. Nevertheless, the obverse design is clear enough to draw some stylistic parallels between it and the bronze half-shekel of the First Revolt.10 Also, the style of the letter "yod," with dots at each of its points, bears a striking resemblance to forms of this letter used on bronze coins of the year four of the First Revolt." This was purchased from a dealer in the early 1970s as a single item, with no clues as to its provenance. ' Ibid., p. 118, Ab2, PI. 4. i» Meshorer. AJCII, p. 262, No. 27, PI. 19. " Ibid., pp. 262-263.