Ben-Gurion was still serving as Prime Minister when this coin was struck — an unusual circumstance of a sitting head of government being honored on official coinage during his own lifetime. Israel's decision to issue gold coinage in 1962 was driven partly by the need to attract foreign currency and diaspora investment, with these pieces sold internationally at a premium over bullion value rather than circulated domestically.
As Friedberg 1, this is the first entry in the standard reference for Israeli gold — the inaugural issue of a program that would define the Corporation's export strategy for decades. The .917 fineness follows the traditional 22-karat standard used by British sovereigns, a deliberate choice for international market familiarity.
Ben-Gurion was still serving as Prime Minister when this coin was struck — an unusual circumstance of a sitting head of government being honored on official coinage during his own lifetime. Israel's decision to issue gold coinage in 1962 was driven partly by the need to attract foreign currency and diaspora investment, with these pieces sold internationally at a premium over bullion value rather than circulated domestically.
As Friedberg 1, this is the first entry in the standard reference for Israeli gold — the inaugural issue of a program that would define the Corporation's export strategy for decades. The .917 fineness follows the traditional 22-karat standard used by British sovereigns, a deliberate choice for international market familiarity.