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1/2 Prutah - Alexander Jannaeus
| Issuer | Judea |
|---|---|
| Year | 104 BC - 76 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Paleo-Hebrew inscription arranged in a circular legend around the field, reading 'Yehonatan the High Priest and the Council of the Jews.' The lettering is executed in the ancient Paleo-Hebrew script characteristic of Hasmonean coinage and is partially legible on this heavily patinated example. The field is flat and undecorated, consistent with the austere epigraphic style adopted by Alexander Jannaeus to emphasize his priestly and civic authority. The coin exhibits an irregular flan with a dark green patina overlying the bronze fabric, typical of Judaean small bronzes of the late second to early first century BC. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Alexander Jannaeus was the first Hasmonean ruler to formally adopt the title "King" on his coinage, a pointed political assertion made during a reign defined by violent internal conflict — most notably the six-year civil war against his own Pharisee subjects, in which he reportedly crucified 800 opponents in a single day. The half prutah represents the smallest denomination of his extensive bronze issues, likely serving daily transactions in a period when Judea's territorial reach was near its Hasmonean maximum.
Hendin 1145 is among the more frequently encountered Hasmonean types, yet condition rarities are genuine — the thin fabric and soft bronze make undamaged surfaces the exception.