The Half Shekel
Year 57
Coin Description
In the center of the obverse
are the Two Trumpets of Silver (Number 10:1).
Above the Two Trumpets of Silver appears the date, in ancient Hebrew letters
taken from the coinage of the First Rebellion (65-70 CE); "Shin Noon Zayin" standing for "Shanah 'Noon-Zayin" (57th Year). As
we have no custom of dating our coinage by foreign calenders, nor even from Creation, we took the example of our predecessors
and dated our ceremonial coin from the Liberation of the Land of Israel. This year's coin, minted to be given on Purim of 2005, will
open the 57th Year celebrations of the State of Israel.
Below the Two Trumpets of Silver appear the words "Lo
Heilech Chuki" (Not Legal Tender), to satisfy the needs of the
Bank of Israel Law that we are not producing a currency substitute.
The legend along the right side of
the coin reads "V'Natnu Ish Kofer Nafsho L'Hashem" ("And
every person shall give an atonement for their soul to G-d") [Exodus
30:12], and continues with "Machatzit Hashekel B'Shekel Hakodesh"
("Half a Shekel of the Holy Shekel") [Exodus 30:13]
The same wording appears in the ancient
Hebrew script as the legend along the left side of the coin. We did this
as a continuation of our ancestors' custom of retaining the ancient script
on our independent coinage, even after that script has been superceded
by another version, as was the case with the First and Second Rebellion
coins.
The reverse features
The reverse features a Second revolt Zuz (quarter shekel) minted in Betar in the year 134 CE, depicting Second Temple Era
silver trumpets, inscribed "For the freedom of Jerusalem".
The legend across the top reads "Heasher
Lo Yarbeh, V'Hadal Lo Yamit" ("The rich shall not give more,
nor the poor less".) [Exodus 30:15]
The legend across the bottom reads
"L'Shem Ichud Klal Yisrael" ("For the sake of the
unity of the whole House of Israel") [Beged Ivri]
Diameter: | | 21.9 mm. |
Weight: | | 7.778 gr. |
Edge: | | Smooth |
Alloy: | | Silver .999 |
Design: | | Beged Ivri |
Mint: | | Tel Aviv |
Mintage: | | TBA |
Year: | | 57 (2004/2005) |
Date of Issue: | | Purim 5765 (25th March, 2005) |
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