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1 Sheqel Corfu Lamp
| Issuer | Bank of Israel |
|---|---|
| Year | 1981 |
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| Value | 1 Sheqel (1 ILR) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The obverse features the large numeral '1' dominating the central field, with the word 'שקל' (Sheqel) in bold Hebrew characters below. The State of Israel emblem — a menorah flanked by olive branches — appears in the lower right field. A trilingual legend encircles the upper portion reading 'ISRAEL', 'ישראל', and 'اسرائيل' in Latin, Hebrew, and Arabic respectively. The date '1980' appears along the right side in Latin numerals, with the Hebrew year 'התשמ"א' (5741) inscribed alongside. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays a stylized depiction of a 19th-century Hanukkah lamp (Hanukkiyah) from Corfu, rendered in a heptagonal cartouche that echoes the shape of the original lamp's silhouette. The lamp is shown in elevation, featuring elaborate baroque-style foliate scrollwork and decorative elements characteristic of Corfiote Jewish craftsmanship. A band of pendant arch ornamentation appears below the main body of the lamp. A two-line Hebrew inscription in the lower field identifies the subject, with a small Star of David below the legend. |
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| Additional information |
Issued to mark the third year of the sheqel, this piece belongs to Israel's long-running commemorative program that began in 1958 with the first Hanukkah series. The "Corfu Lamp" designation refers to an oil lamp style brought to the region by Jewish communities from Corfu, part of the Ionian Islands, whose distinct North African and Venetian-influenced craft traditions shaped their ritual objects over centuries of diaspora settlement.
The .850 fineness is characteristic of Israel's early sheqel-era silver commemoratives, a step down from the .935 used in some pound-era issues.