The Half Shekel
Year 62

Coin Description

New Holy Half-Shekel for year 62


Obverse

In the center of the obverse is the Assur - Prophetic 10 string lyre. Restored by The House of Harrari Biblical Harp makers. "Wake up, my glory; awake, the harp and the lyre: I will awake the dawn." (Psalms 57:9)

Above the Assur appears the date, in ancient Hebrew letters taken from the coinage of the First Rebellion (65-70 CE); "Shin Samech Bet" standing for "Shanah Samech Bet" (62nd 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 2010, will open the 62nd Year celebrations of the State of Israel.

Below the Assur 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of our ancestors' custom of retaining the ancient script on our independent coinage, even after that script has been superceded by another version, as was the case with the First and Second Rebellion coins.



Reverse

A zuz, or quarter shekel from the Second Revolt - the Bar Kochba Rebellion, featuring a Second Temple Era Kinor (lyre) with the inscription "For the liberation 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:Hecht
Mintage:494
Year:62 (2010/2011)
Date of Issue:Purim 5770 (28th Feb, 2010)


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