The Half Shekel
Year 55
Coin Description
In the center of the obverse is the
Biblical Tallith (Numbers 15:37-41).
Above the Biblical Tallith appears the date,
in ancient Hebrew letters taken from the
coinage of the First Rebellion (65-70 CE); "Shin Noon Heh" standing for
"Shanah 'Noon-heh" (55th 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 2003, will open the 55th
Year celebrations of the State of Israel.
Below the Biblical Tallith 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on our independent coinage, even after that script has been superceded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
Stone weights from the
First Temple Period,
used to weigh silver and gold,
featuring 2 shekel, 4 shekel
and pym (2/3 shekel) weights.
These were used prior
to the advent of coined money.
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: | | 55 (2002/2003) |
Date of Issue: | | Purim 5763 (18th March, 2003) |
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