2 New Sheqalim Independence- For a Better Environment

Israel's Independence Day coin series has been issued annually since 1958, each year assigned a civic or national theme by the Bank of Israel. The 1994 issue marked the country's 46th anniversary — not a round number, no particular milestone — the theme of environmental conservation apparently chosen on its own merits rather than as a commemorative hook.

The .925 silver specification places it within the post-1985 New Sheqel era, after Israel's currency reform ended the hyperinflationary spiral that had rendered the old sheqel nearly worthless by the early 1980s.