eBay item 2227065534 (Ends Feb-29-04 13:46:04 PST) - 2100 Yr Old First JEWISH Coin Ancient ISRAEL home | pay | register | sign in | services | site map| help Back to list of items Listed in category: Coins > Coins: Ancient > Roman: Provincial Also listed in: Books > Antiquarian & Collectible > Antiquarian > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism 2100 Yr Old First JEWISH Coin Ancient ISRAEL Item number: 2227065534 You are signed in Bidding has ended for this item If you are a winner, Sign in for your status. Go to larger picture Winning bid: US $61.00 Ended: Feb-29-04 13:46:04 PST Start time:Feb-19-04 13:46:04 PST History:6 bids (US $24.00 starting bid) Winning bidder: User ID kept private Item location: The City Different - Santa Fe United States Ships to: Worldwide Shipping and payment details Seller information axismundi.com( 1888) Feedback Score: 1888 Positive Feedback: 99.9% Member since Mar-06-98 in United States Read feedback comments Ask seller a question View seller's other items Visit this seller's eBay Store! Axis Mundi Ancient Coins Buyer Protection Offered See coverage and eligibility Description 2100 Yr Old First JEWISH Coin Ancient ISRAEL Highly Desirable Authentic 2100+ Year Old Bronze Prutah of John Hyrcanus I / Historic First Jewish Coinage of Ancient Israel / Featuring an Archaic Hebrew Inscription: "Yehohanan the High Priest and Head of the Council of the Jews" / Also Feraturing Two Ancient Symbolic Images of the Richness of the Holy Land - Two Cornucopias and a Pomegranate / Minted in Jerusalem 135-104 BCE / No Reserve This coin will be shipped in a professional numismatic protective sleeve and accompanied by our written guarantee of authenticity which accurately documents the coin as to culture, region or ruler, precious metal, age, denomination and weight as well as a brief history of the coin. Axis Mundi's Statement of Authenticity : The coin being offered here is backed by Axis Mundi's 30 years of experience in the ancient coin business and is unconditionally guaranteed to be genuine. If you have any questions concerning this coin you can reach one of our professional staff by email at mail@axis-mundi.com or by phone at 505-424-3414. This coin can also be inspected in person, upon request, during our business hours ( 12-6 PM daily ). Please send all mail correspondence and payments to: Axis Mundi 2442 Cerrillos Road # 330, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505. This coin will be shipped in a professional numismatic protective sleeve and accompanied by our written guarantee of authenticity which accurately documents the coin as to culture, region or ruler, precious metal, age, denomination and weight as well as a translation of the inscription on the coin. Concerning Our Switch To "Private Auction" : Our decision to list all of our eBay coin offerings as "Private Auctions" is being done at the request of many of our important coin collectors. Please take the time to read why we have taken this step. Over the past year a significant number of our dedicated customers have urged us to consider private auctions so that they may avoid receiving the enormous amounts of spam from individuals and companies who make a habit of harvesting the email addresses of eBay users. For many, this is particularly disturbing and embarrassing when spam for adults only services and products continue to flood their inbox. In addition, some of our clients have informed us that they have become the target of hate groups due to their purchases of certain ethnic coins. This is especially true with coins of Jewish origin. And even though eBay has made tremendous efforts to curb attempts to gain access to user information, it continues to be a serious problem. We have decided, therefore, to take the only step possible to protect our client confidentiality by switching to private auctions. Private auctions have always been the normal procedure for all auction houses such as Christie's, Sotheby's, and major coin sales as well. We fully realize that many eBay users are reluctant to bid on private auctions, but the privacy of our clients is certainly more important than any other consideration. Description: We are pleased to offer this very desirable authentic 2100+ year old bronze Prutah of John Hyrcanus I for your consideration. John Hyrcanus I, son of Simon the Maccabee, and nephew of Judah Maccabee, was High Priest of Judaea for 31 years. He was reputedly endowed with the godly gifts of temporal power, dignity, and prophecy. His successful military exploits saw the expansion of Israel and the capture of many cities, including Samaria. The coin you see here is a landmark of Hebrew history. Numismatic scholars have identified this coinage as the first wholly Jewish currency of ancient Israel. This desirable coin was originally minted in Jerusalem between 135-104 BCE and survives in very pleasing condition with much of the original inscription and artwork still visible. The irregular shape is completely normal for this coinage, since, in the ancient world, each coin was created individually by hand. It features an ancient Aramaic (Hebrew) inscription which reads, "Yehohanan the High Priest and the Council of the Jews" within a wreath and also a depiction of two cornucopias with a pomegranate between. The cornucopia was certainly one of the most popular symbols of the ancient world, but it was the Jews who institutionalized it as a symbol representing the richness of the Holy Land of Israel . The addition of the pomegranate served as a symbol with a variety of interpretations. One belief was that by eating it your merits would will increase by the number of seeds in the fruit. Another belief was that there were 613 seeds in the fruit, thus equating it with the number of commandments in the Torah. The unique history associated with this coin as well as its famous religious ruler, Hyrcanus I, have created one of the most important artifacts of Jewish history. The value of these coins have increased dramatically over the past few years due to very strong demand and limited availability. In addition, these very scarce survivors of ancient Jewish history have become extremely popular as showpieces for modern jewelry. We've decided to offer this rare coin with no reserve to stimulate active bidding and encourage new collectors. You will not be disappointed with this valuable and important ancient treasure. Obverse: Archaic Hebrew text within wreath... Yehohanan the High Priest and the Council of the Jews. Reverse: Double cornucopia adorned with ribbons and pomegranate between. Size: 14 mm Weight: 1.6 grams Reference : Hendin 457 History of this Coinage: The earliest Jewish coins came into existence during the Maccabaen period; well after coinage had been established in the ancient world. This was due in large part to the invasion by the Babylonians in 586 BCE which virtually destroyed the Judaean kingdom just at the time when coinage was first becoming established. The Jews eventually returned to their former home, but the authority to coin money remained in the hands of the Persians. This situation existed until the time of the Maccabees (Hasmonean Dynasty) when John Hyrcanus I, nephew of Judah Maccabee, became the first Jewish ruler to mint coins in his own name. This important and historic numismatic event occurred shortly after 135 BCE. THE DANGERS OF LAST MINUTE BIDDING : Almost without fail after an auction has closed we receive emails from bidders who claim they were attempting to place a bid and were unable to get into eBay. There is nothing we can do to help bidders who were "locked out" while trying to place a "last minute" bid. All we can do in this regard is to urge you to place your bids early. If you're serious in your intent to become a winning bidder please avoid eBay's high traffic during the close of an auction. Its certainly your choice how you handle your bidding, but we'd rather see you a winner instead of being left out during the last minute scramble. AUTHENTICITY : We are a member of the American Numismatic Association. All items are accompanied by a lifetime guarantee of authenticity. DOMESTIC SHIPPING COSTS : High bidder to pay $6.00 for Priority shipping with appropriate insurance. INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING COSTS : High bidder to pay the actual cost of shipping by air. It is the responsibility of the buyer to comply with foreign customs and exchange regulations. RETURN POLICY : Items can be returned for ANY reason within 10 days of receipt for a full refund minus shipping costs. All items are shipped fully insured against loss or damage. Should any item arrive in damaged condition buyer agrees to save all packing materials pending examination by representative of shipping company. PAYMENT METHODS : We accept checks, money orders, VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS and PAY PAL. Personal checks must clear our bank before shipment of item except in cases of established clients. Click here to see ...AXIS MUNDI's... other quality auctions Copyright 2004 Axis Mundi Thanks for Your Time and Interest Created by eBay Seller's Assistant Pro Visit Axis Mundi Ancient Coins today! Shipping and payment details Shipping and handling: US $3.80 (within United States) Buyer pays for all shipping costs Save on shipping now! - Buy more from this seller Shipping insurance: US $2.20 (Required) Sales tax: 6.400% (only in NM) Will ship worldwide. Seller's payment instructions & return policy: Axis Mundi will email the winning bidder with payment options following the close of each auction. We accept checks, money orders, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. You can make credit card payment by calling us directly at 505-424-3414 (12-6 PM Mountain Time) or through Pay Pal. Customers outside the USA can make Pay Pal payments in US Dollars, Pounds Sterling, Euro, or Yen. Shipping fees appearing on this page are for USA delivery ONLY. Payment methods accepted This seller, axismundi.com, prefers PayPal. Personal check Money order/Cashiers check See item description for payment methods accepted Visa/MasterCard, American Express Learn about payment methods. Where to go next? 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