VIRTUAL JEWISH MUSEUM

Hasmonean Bronze Coins

These bronze coins made for small local transactions are called 'Prutot'. (singular 'Prutah'). The designs are borrowed from contemporary culture. Well-struck and centered examples are little jewels. The Hebrew legends are written in ancient script, associated with the ancient First Temple period, and no longer read by most Jews. But it called to mind the 'good old days' and made a political statement.

Hasmonean/Antiochus VII

During a period of Syrian weakness and Judean strength, the Jews were given the right to mint their own coins. Through an alliance between the high priest/leader Simon, last of the original Maccabee brothers, and Antiochus VII of Syria, this coin was struck. It reads 'King Antiochus Sidetes' in Greek with a Syrian anchor. But the reverse shows a Lily, a Jewish symbol associated with Jerusalem. Dated 131 BCE. Issued by son Jonathan Hyrcanus I.

Yehochanan Hyrcanus I.A

After Simon's assassination's, son 'John' Hyrcanus ruled from 135 - 104 BCE. The full inscription in archaic Hebrew reads 'Yehochanan Hakohen Hagadol veHever haYehudim - John High Priest and the Council of the Jews'. The wreath is borrowed from Syrian coins. The reverse shows a double cornucopia - Horn of Plenty - full of grain and bunch of grapes, with a pomegranate between. This symbolized abundance and fertility. * Notice the 'A' above the inscription.

Yochanan Hyrcanus reverse monograms

Many examples of this issue display monograms. The prominent 'A' at the top of the previous coin is the best example. On these two we see small monograms on the bottom, left of the cornucopia. The left coin shows an 'A'. The right coin shows a small Greek 'PI' with an 'A' inside. It is unclear what they represent. J. Hyrcanus was friendly with Syrian king Antiochus VII and then with king Alexander Balas. These letters might refer to them.

Yehochanan.half prutah

The bronze Prutot vary in legibility and in size. But this one, with a different design and less than half the weight, must be a half denomination. The inscription is the same as the full-size example. The title 'High Priest' had become not only a religious title but a political one. Furthermore, since the Hasmonean rulers were Kohanim - priests, from the tribe of Levi - they were technically not eligible to be kings, who traditionally came from the tribe of Judah.

Yehochanan.'Rosh'

These examples display a very different style of engraving. since most residents, and even engravers, were not familiar with this script, styles varied widely. But the addition of one word 'Rosh' (head) of the Jewish Council suggests a formal position as head of the Sanhedrin. On the right coin, the third line starts with the letters Resh Alef Shin = 'Rosh'. On the left coin, the R ends the 3rd line and the Alef Shin begins the 4th line.

Yehudah Aristobulus I

Yehudah succeeded his father, reigning 104-103. His Greek name was Aristobulus. (A nephew known as Aristobulus II ruled later). His rule was brief and troubeled. His coins continue the style of his father. Even the legend is almost the same, reading 'Yehudah High Priest and Council of the Jews'. His name appears on the top line.

Yannai

Alexander Jannaeus

Yehonatan (his Hebrew name) succeeded his brother Aristobulus. In addition to inheriting the title of Kohen Gadol, he called himself 'King'. His taste for Hellenism did not sit well with the more traditional Jews. His first coins continue the types of his predecessors, inscribed 'Yehonatan HaKohen Hagadol Hever haYehudim', in an olive wreath with a double cornucopia on the reverse. The arrangement and completeness of the letters varies from coin to coin. Cursive style lettering.

Alexander Jannaeus.another

The lettering on this example is much larger and more angular. It also ran out of room. The legend reads: Yhonn KhDolVhYhd. The reverse is off center which is not unusual.

Alexander Jannaeus.Different styles

The Jews pronounced his name 'Yannai'. Here are 2 examples, very different in style, but remarkably complete in lettering.

Website.Yannai.141.142_edited

Yannai.Crude and Blundered

These examples show how inexpert some of the engravers were. The left specimen actually shows real letters, although somewhat scattered. The right specimen just shows lines imitating an unknown (to him) script.

Yannai.Lily.Anchor

At some point, Yannai issued this different and attractive coin. With lilly/anchor designs, it harks back to very first bronze above. Now, the Hebrew and Greek legends proclaim 'Yehonatan Hamelech' - Jonathan the King. This was a glaring break with tradition, one of several, and earned the animosity of the Rabbinic camp.

Alex. Yannai.Half-Prutah

This is a half-prutah of Yannai. It is significantly smaller and lighter than a prutah. Its types are similar to the half-prutah of Y. Hyrcanus. The inscription reads 'Yehonatan the King'. It is quite rare and must not have been minted extensively.

Yannai.Overstrike

A large number of Yannai's lily/anchor coins have been found overstruck - too many to be an accident. It is unclear why this was done, but the 'new' type is the old traditional inscription in a wreath/cornucopia stating 'High Priest' and not 'King'. Notably, the name is spelled YNTN (Yonatan). This avoids using the first 3 letters of G-d's unpronounced name. Perhaps, it was an attempt to reconcile with the Rabbis. Perhaps his wife Salome Alexandra, sister to R' Shimon b. Shetah, was involved.

Yannai.YNTN.(overstruck?)

This is a clear well-centered example of the YNTN coin, perhaps fully overstruck. We can read 'YNTN HKHN HGDL VHVR YHU' only missing the final DM.

Yannai.overstrike.compared

Here we see the original, the overstrike, and the resulting type.

Yannai.overstrike.2 titles

This overstrike happens to preserve both titles! On the left, indicated by the blue line, is the word HMLKh = the King. On the right, next to the arrow, we can read HKHN GDL = High Priest. This bit of bronze preserves the drama of Yannai's reign and the tension of that period.

Yannai.Anchor.Diadem

Yannai introduced a new prutah type. The obverse shows a familiar anchor and the legend reads in Greek 'BASILEOS ALEXANDROY' = of King Alexander. The reverse shows an 8-pointed star inside a diadem (a royal headband indicating sovereignty). Between the rays in Hebrew 'YHNTN HMLKh' = King Alexander. The arrow points to where the ends of the diadem hang down.

Yannai.Anchor.Diadem.another_edited

Another example, with very clear lettering. The diadem ends are off the flan on this coin.

Yannai.Anchor.Diadem.retrograde

In the example on the left, the Hebrew writing between the rays is 'retrograde'. That means it reads backwards, from left to right. Die engravers had to engrave in reverse so that the image and inscription would come out correctly when the die stamped a coin. If the engraver forgot, and engraved the DIE frontwards, the design on the COIN it produced would come out backwards, like this one.

Yannai.Small version

This coin imitates the new anchor/diadem design although the style is different. However it is smaller and much lighter than a full size example. Weighing less than half as much, perhaps it is meant to be a half-denomination.

Website.coins.hasm.147zzzz

Yannai.anchor/diadem sizes

This comparison shows the different sizes of what seems to be the same coin.

Yannai.half-prutah?

Numerous small coins have been found, with miniature or partial designs. It is not clear if these were imitations, smaller change, or if they represent a deterioration in the minting standards. Here, 7 'minis' surround a full size prutah.

Yannai.small version

These examples represent another iteration of the anchor/star types. The star is no longer surrounded by a diadem, but rather a border of dots. The Hebrew letters are outside the circle. The anchor is in a ring with the Greek outside. These weigh about a third of the full size prutot. Notably, the inscription is really Aramaic, not Hebrew. It reads MLKA ALKSNDRS ShNT KH. = King Alexander Year 25. The language, and script are much closer to what most Jews were using then.

Yannai.LKE

It takes several specimens to read the entire inscription on either side. Some examples show Greek letters LKE near the top of the anchor. Used as numbers, they represent 'year 25'. This is understood to mean 'the 25th year of Yannai's reign'.

Yannai.Lead.Coin.Token

This example looks like a coin, but is made of lead. The anchor side has the expected Greek legend: BASILEOS ALEXANDROY (of King Alexander). The obverse carries only words. They are similar to those on the previous coin: MLKA ALKSNDROS - King Alexander. And the lettering is common square writing, associated with Aramaic. It is speculated that they are tokens that could be redeemed for gifts, which was a Roman practice. They are found among coin hoards and may have circulated alongside them.

Yannai.Lead.compared

These are also lead, but smaller and cruder. Only one side bears a design and it resembles the small star coins above. They are squarish because they were produced in long strips and then cut apart. Compare with the bronze prototype on the lower right.

Successors to Yannai?

After Yannai died, his wife Salome Alexandra essentially ruled. she was followed by sons Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II. their Hebrew names are unknown. If they were the same as their ancestor namesakes, some of the coins with those names could have been issued by them. the crude coins shown above are considered possibly from this period (76-40 BCE). The 2 brothers competed and fought for the throne and the weakness and upheaval allowed Rome to dominate political affairs.

Aretas Submits

Brothers Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II were rivals for the kingship. Hyrcanus allied himself with the Nabatean king Aretas III who ruled from Arabia to Damascus. Rome under Pompey chose to support the weaker Hyrcanus too and defeated Aristobulus. Rome's representative in Syria (M. Scaurus) forced Aretas to submit to Rome. This coin commemorates that event. King Aretas kneels in submission, next to his camel.

Jewish King submits

Four years later, in 54 BCE Rome issued this coin. It shows a 'Jewish King' submitting. The king isn't named but is thought to be Aristobulus, who was defeated with Rome's support. The graphic image mimics the previous coin showing the submission of Aretas. the name on the obverse, Aulus Plautius, is the roman magistrate.

Submission to Rome

Here the two submission coins are compared.

Matityahu Antigonus.Set

Matityahu Antigonus, son of Aristobulus II, became the 5th generation of Hasmoneans to rule, but only for a tumultuous 3 years. But his coins are memorable, for their size and design. These 3 seem to form a set. They have been described as a large thick 8 prutot, a smaller half-weight 4 prutot. and a more familiar small 1 prutah.

Matityahu.Antigonus.large

This largest and thickest of Hasmonean coins is 23 mm in diameter, 4 mm thick , and weighs 15 grams. The obverse shows a familiar double cornucopia and the inscription reads, until it runs out of room, MTTYH HKHN HG(--) VHVR HYHD(--). Read it clockwise from 7 o'clock , then at 12 it goes down between the horns. Then below counterclockwise to the top. The reverse - when it's centered - reads BACILEOC ANTIGONOY = of King Antigonus.

M.Antigonus.large_edited

This largest and thickest of Hasmonean coins is 23 mm in diameter, 4 mm thick , and weighs 15 grams. The obverse shows a familiar double cornucopia and the inscription reads, until it runs out of room, MTTYH HKHN HG(--) VHVR HYHD(--). Read it clockwise from 7 o'clock , then at 12 it goes down between the horns. Then below counterclockwise to the top. The reverse - when it's centered - reads BACILEOC ANTIGONOY = of King Antigonus, around a wreath.

M.Antigonus.medium

The medium denomination has one cornucopia (= half denomination). The obverse Hebrew starts with Matityah's name and then selected letters of the rest. On the reverse is a wreath within a border of dots. Inside, BACILEOC ANTIGONOY again, not always complete. 19 mm wide, 3 mm thick. It weighs 7.5 grams.

M.Antigonus.Prutah

This coin is a more familiar prutah-size. The obverse shows a wreath, inside which is simply Matityah's name MTTYH. Notably, the name is written retrograde, meaning backwards - from left to right. This is an engraving error. The reverse shows a double cornucopia. Between them - instead of a pomegranate - is a stalk of barley. Other rarer examples show a pomegranate on them the name is engraved properly.

M.Antigonus.Menorah

I don't own this extremely rare coin of M. Antigonus, but it should be mentioned. Showing the Menorah on the obverse and the Temple table with 'showbread' on the reverse, it invokes religious and patriotic feelings about the Temple, in an attempt to gather support. The designs were larger than the flans so the inscriptions barely show at all. Only twenty or so examples have been found. It is featured on the current Israeli 10 agurot coin.

Flan Edges

These coins show their edges. The 2 on the left have beveled edges. The flans are made by pouring molten bronze into open stone molds, which are a little wider at the top than at the bottom, producing this angular edge. The coins on the right, from M. Antigonus, were prepared in double molds, so they are twice as thick. Furthermore they slant towards the middle, since each half of the mold had those same features. Sometimes, the 2 halves were not well aligned, resulting in a 'stepped' flan.

Unstruck.strips

The flans for these small coins were prepared in molds in long strips, with a channel connecting each round opening. When cool, the whole strip could be handled and struck. Then the coins were cut into separate pieces. These examples show how the connecting strips sometimes remained attached. And the straight edges on these 'round' coins show where they were cut a part. One of them was prepared but never struck !

Multiple strikes

If the minter was not careful in striking the coins, the image would be off-center. On these examples, the minter tried two or even three times, but still didn't get it right !

Brockage

If a newly struck coin stuck to the die, it would put its own image on the next coin to be struck: The image on a die is below the surface, so the coin's image will be RAISED. But if a coin is what actually presses into the next flan, its raised image will press the design INTO the metal. that happened to these 2 examples, so their design is BELOW the surface. This is called 'Brockage'.