The Half Shekel
Year 54
Coin Description
In the center of the obverse is the Jerusalem of Gold, the
golden bridal crown with which brides in Israel are crowned on the day of their wedding.
Above the Jerusalem of Gold appears the date, in ancient Hebrew letters taken from the
coinage of the First Rebellion (65-70 CE); "Shin Noon Daled" standing for
"Shanah 'Noon-Daled'" (54th 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 2002, will open the 54th
Year celebrations of the State of Israel.
Below the Jerusalem of Gold 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on our independent coinage, even after that script has been superceded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 a First Rebellion Shekel from the Year 2 of the revolt against Rome
that ended with the destruction of the Holy Temple in the year 69/70 CE.
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: | | Jerusalem |
Mintage: | | TBA |
Year: | | 54 (2002/2003) |
Date of Issue: | | Purim 5762 (26th February, 2002) |
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