1 New Sheqel Independence - The Golden Years

Israel's Independence Day coin series has run annually since 1958, with each issue assigned a theme tied to the state's symbolic or historical priorities for that year. The 2005 issue marked 57 years of independence — not a round anniversary by any conventional standard, but the "Golden Years" theme referenced the founding generation reaching old age, a demographic and cultural moment the state was actively grappling with as the last survivors of the pre-state Aliyah waves entered their eighties and nineties.