Judea (Ancient)
Bar Kokhba Revolt. Year Two, 132-135 CE. Silver Sela (14.75 g). Struck 133/4 CE. 'Simon' (Paleo-Hebrew), on both sides of the tetrastyle facade of the Temple of Jerusalem; show bread table or Ark of the Convenant in chest form with semicircular lid and short legs, seen from a narrow side; above facade, star. Reverse: 'Year two of the freedom of Israel' (Paleo-Hebrew), lulav with etrog at left. Hendin 1388; TJC 233; Mild. 40, #1 this coin. Boldly struck on a nice full flan and nicely toned. A coin of exceptional beauty. Superb Extremely Fine. Estimated Value $6,000
This and the following sela varieties of the second year (133/4 CE) of the Bar Kokhba War depart from the previous issues of the first and second years in the paleo-Hebrew obverse legend. Here, instead of the usual legend naming Jerusalem, now Simon [bar Kokhba] is named. It is unclear whether this change indicates that all hope of reclaiming Jerusalem had been given up by the rebels by this point in the war or whether it merely indicates an increased emphasis on Bar Kokhba's personal leadership as a messianic figure. It should be noted that it is unlikely that Bar Kokhba?s soldiers ever occupied Jerusalem. In all of the archaeological excavations that have been conducted there, tens of thousands of coins have been found, but only three of them were coins of Bar Kokhba.
Ex Kunker 334, 2420 Samel Coll; Ex Fawar hoard.